The Relationship between the Dosage of Furosemide and the Occurrence of Hyperuricemia in the Patients with Heart Failure.

( Received September 27, 1999 Accepted March 6, 2000 ) The purpose of this report is to clarify the relationship between the dosage of furosemide and the occurrence of hyperuricemia. 59 patients with heart failure who were treated with furosemide were analyzed retrospectively. We defined hyperuricemia to be more than 7.0mg/dL in males and 5.5mg/dL in females. Any patients with renal failure, gout, diabetes mellitus and an abnormal purine-metabolism were excluded from this investigation. The frequency of hyperuricemia was 78.0% in the 59 patients receiving furosemide. The incidence of hyperuricemia due to furosemide medication was as follows: 80% in the 20mg treated group (n=10); 81.5% in the 40mg treated group (n=27); 100% in the 60mg treated group (n =2); and 100% in the 80mg treated group (n=14) . Furthermore, in the groups receiving 20 mg, 40mg and 80mg of furosemide, the average doses of allopurinol (urate synthesis inhibitor) were 50.0•}16.7mg (mean•}SE, n=10), 88.5•}15.0mg (mean•}SE, n=26) and 130.2•}26.0mg (mean•}SE, n=10), respectively. These results indirectly suggest that the increases in the amount of furosemide correlated with the serum urate level. In conclusion, to avoid hyperuricemia, the serum urate levels should be carefully checked in