What Is Uric Acid?

Content

• Is There Anything Else I Need To Know About A Uric Acid Test?
• How Can You Fight Gout?
• Urgent Ortho Care
• How To Prevent Gout Attacks
• Stage 1: Asymptomatic Gout
• Uric Acid Test
• Top Reads In Health Education

Obese people were up to 3.5 times more likely than normal-weight individuals to have too much uric acid. The researchers also found that 44% of hyperuricemia cases were attributable to excess weight alone. Experimental evidence in rats has shown that hyperuricemia can increase systemic blood pressure, renal dysfunction, progressive renal scarring, proteinuria, and vascular disease. Evidence supports the idea that hyperuricemia may be a key mechanism for activation of the renin-angiotensin and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) systems in progressive renal disease. The final breakdown product of purine catabolism in humans is uric acid. The liver and intestinal mucosa produce most of the uric acid.

Does milk increase uric acid?

DO: Drink Milk
The proteins found in milk promote excretion of uric acid in the urine.

Most commonly affects the big toe, but can affect any joint in the body. It is estimated as much as 21% of the general population and 25% of hospitalized patients have asymptomatic hyperuricemia. The most common complication of hyperuricemia is gout which is seen in 3.9% of the U.S. population. Hyperuricemia does not in itself indicate a pathological state because it is very prevalent in the general population. Your lab report should show the range that your lab uses for each test. Your doctor will also look at your results based on your age, health, and other factors.

Is There Anything Else I Need To Know About A Uric Acid Test?

Deposits of the needle-like urate crystals are responsible for the inflammation and the painful symptoms of gout. Uric acid is normally cleaned out of the blood by the kidneys, and passes out of the body along with urine. However, high levels of uric acid can accumulate in the body, either when the kidneys excrete too little uric acid or when the body produces too much uric acid. This condition is known as hyperuricemia, according to the NIH. They may lead to damage in the metatarsophalangeal joint, with difficulty walking becoming permanent in some cases. In cases of chronic gout, also known as chronic gouty arthritis, a person may experience symptoms of inflammation most or all of the time.

People with gout, and by inference hyperuricemia, are significantly less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, unless they also require diuretics. A ketogenic diet impairs the ability of the kidney to excrete uric acid, due to competition for transport between uric acid and ketones. The principal drugs that contribute to hyperuricemia by decreased excretion are the primary antiuricosurics. Other drugs and agents include diuretics, salicylates, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, nicotinic acid, ciclosporin, 2-ethylamino-1,3,4-thiadiazole, and cytotoxic agents. Probenecid, sulfinpyrazone and allopurinol also may cause you to have more frequent gout episodes at first. During this time, you may have to take colchicine or an NSAID for the first three to six months to prevent an episode.

How Can You Fight Gout?

People who have gout may develop kidney stones that are composed of calcium and sometimes uric acid. The stones may block the urinary tract, resulting in excruciating pain and, if untreated, infection and kidney damage. Hard lumps of uric acid crystals are first deposited in the joint lining or cartilage or in bone near the joints and then under the skin around joints. Tophi can also develop in the kidney and other organs and under the skin on the ears.

Accumulations of uric acid crystals can intermittently cause severe joint or tissue pain and inflammation. Left untreated, patients may suffer from recurrent painful and disabling acute attacks of gout. However, excellent treatments for gout are available, and most patients respond very well to gout treatment with a good prognosis.

Urgent Ortho Care

You may be at risk for tumor lysis syndrome if you receive chemotherapy for certain types of leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma, if there is a large amount of disease present. Your doctor may also prescribe medications that help stones pass by relaxing the muscles in the ureter, the duct that urine passes through to get from the kidney to the bladder. Recent research also indicates that genetics may play a big role in determining who gets gout. Ask your doctor if you have questions about your risk for developing this condition.

If your doctor suspects that diet is a contributing factor, you may be asked to collect several urine samples. Tests then will be conducted to determine the amount of uric acid your body produces. These tests are particularly helpful because some people with gout produce and eliminate a large amount of uric acid. People with gout also may have high blood pressure or kidney infections.

How To Prevent Gout Attacks

Close management of blood pressure and diabetes management, if appropriate. Foods and beverages that are high in purines should be avoided since purines are converted in the body to uric acid. In very rare cases, allopurinol and febuxostat can cause severe skin reactions that can be life threatening. Symptoms may include red, blistered, or peeling skin; red or sore eyes; fever; and sores in your throat, mouth, or nose. Although eye complications related to gout are uncommon, long-term gout can cause uric acid to build in eye tissue and has been linked to cataracts and dry eye. Cataracts are a clouding of the lens in your eye, which is normally clear.

In some people with gout, high levels of uric acid can go down if they lose weight or change diets. However, in people with refractory gout, this uric high acid build-up can continue. High uric acid levels in the urine are seen with gout, multiple myeloma, metastatic cancer, leukemia, and a diet high in purines.

Abnormalities in the metabolism of purine or related compounds have been shown to cause hyperuricemia in infancy or childhood . The most common cause of hyperuricemia is the overproduction of uric acid . Some patients with Lesch–Nyhan syndrome, Kelly–Seegmiller syndrome, or PRPP synthetase overactivity exhibit gout in early childhood or adolescence .

Uric Acid Test

Uric acid crystals can also be deposited in the kidneys, causing kidney stones to form. These stones can be very painful and, if left untreated, can block the urinary tract and cause infections. The encouraging news is that almost all gout cases are treatable.