Uric acid normal range

Verywell / Emily Roberts Purpose of Test To understand why you might need to a uric acid blood test, it’s helpful to learn about uric acid. Uric acid is a waste product made when your body breaks down purines, a component of your DNA and RNA. You also take in purines through your diet through various foods. The waste product of purines, uric acid, must be eliminated through your kidneys and your gastrointestinal tract. Hyperuricemia can cause uric acid crystals to form inside your joints, leading to gout. High uric acid may make it more likely that you will get kidney stones (the type formed from uric acid). Hyperuricemia may also increase the risk of the development of chronic kidney disease, or worsen it if it is already present. Uric Acid Monitoring During Cancer Treatment People undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments for cancer also sometimes need a uric acid test. Cancer itself doesn’t cause high levels of uric acid, but these treatments can cause the death of many cells in your body. This can increase the blood levels of uric acid. This is most likely to be a problem for people with cancers affecting blood cells, but it can happen with any cancer type. Having a uric acid test scheduled as a part of your cancer treatment helps your clinician keep an eye on your uric acid, which in turn helps prevent problems from hyperuricemia as a component of something called tumor lysis syndrome. The rapid breakdown of cells leads to very high levels of uric acid which dam...

Overview Gout is a common and complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone. It's characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in one or more joints, most often in the big toe. An attack of gout can occur suddenly, often waking you up in the middle of the night with the sensation that your big toe is on fire. The affected joint is hot, swollen and so tender that even the weight of the bedsheet on it may seem intolerable. Gout Gout causes intense pain and swelling around one or more joints. Gout most commonly affects the joint at the base of the big toe. The signs and symptoms of gout almost always occur suddenly, and often at night. They include: • Intense joint pain. Gout usually affects the big toe, but it can occur in any joint. Other commonly affected joints include the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and fingers. The pain is likely to be most severe within the first four to 12 hours after it begins. • Lingering discomfort. After the most severe pain subsides, some joint discomfort may last from a few days to a few weeks. Later attacks are likely to last longer and affect more joints. • Inflammation and redness. The affected joint or joints become swollen, tender, warm and red. • Limited range of motion. As gout progresses, you may not be able to move your joints normally. When to see a doctor If you experience sudden, intense pain in a joint, call your doctor. Gout that goes untreated can lead to worsening pain and joint damage. S...

Uric acid is a waste product the body produces as it breaks down purines. The body then removes it through urine and stool. A person can take a uric acid test to determine the uric acid level in their blood or urine. Producing uric acid is part of an important However, the proper functioning of metabolism and gut and renal excretion is key in making sure uric acid levels do not build up. The medical term for when uric acid levels become too high is A buildup of Although less common, uric acid levels can also become too low. This is called Whether too high or too low, uric acid levels outside the healthy range can have adverse health effects. If uric acid levels are outside the normal range, it is important to manage them accordingly. This article looks at how and why doctors test uric acid levels, who may need a uric acid test, how to prepare for a uric acid test, and what results mean. Share on Pinterest Yoshiyoshi Hirokawa/Getty Images A uric acid test enables a doctor to assess how well the body produces and disposes of uric acid. In other cases, people may require testing because they show symptoms of conditions that relate to hyperuricemia. A doctor is likely to take blood samples when monitoring the If a person shows signs or symptoms of Having uric acid levels outside of the normal range can cause several health issues. Conditions that stem from high uric acid levels Having low uric acid levels can Identifying when uric acid levels are outside the healthy range is i...

Uric acid urine test is performed to check for the amount of uric acid in urine. Urine is collected over a 24 hour period and is sent to the laboratory for testing. The most common reason for measuring uric acid levels is in the diagnosis or treatment of gout, because gout results from crystallization of uric acid crystals in joints. Some kidney stones are also composed of uric acid. Your provider may ask you to temporarily stop taking medicines that may affect the test results. Be sure to tell your provider about all the medicines you take. These include: • Aspirin or aspirin-containing medicines • • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen) • Water pills (diuretics) DO NOT stop taking any medicine before talking to your provider. Be aware that alcoholic drinks, vitamin C, and x-ray dye can also affect test results. This test may be done to help determine the cause of a high uric acid level in the blood. It may also be done to monitor people with gout, and to choose the best medicine to lower the uric acid level in the blood. Uric acid is a chemical created when the body breaks down substances called purines. Most uric acid dissolves in blood and travels to the kidneys, where it passes out in urine. If your body produces too much uric acid or does not remove enough of it, you may get sick. A high level of uric acid in the body is called hyperuricemia and it can lead to gout or kidney damage. This test may also be done to check whether a high uric ac...

Uric acid levels are typically 2.5–7.0 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) in males and 1.5–6.0 mg/dL in females. Low levels are rare, but high levels can lead to gout, kidney disease, and other health issues. Uric acid is a waste product in the body. Sometimes, uric acid can build up in the joints and tissues, causing a range of health problems. In this article, we list the typical low, normal, and high levels of uric acid for males and females. We also explain what health conditions a person may develop from having high or low levels. The article also answers some common questions about uric acid. Share on Pinterest Julieanne Birch/Getty Images Having some uric acid in the blood is normal. However, if uric acid levels go above or below a healthy range, this can result in health problems. High uric acid levels can increase the risk of It is unusual to have low uric acid levels in the blood, but low levels in urine can indicate certain health conditions where a person passes too much uric acid out of their body as waste. The following table gives low, normal, and high Purines are chemical substances that occur naturally in the body and in some foods. When the body breaks down purines, this creates uric acid as a waste product. The kidneys filter it from the blood and pass it out of the body in the urine. However, uric acid can sometimes build up in the blood. The medical term for this is Too much uric acid in the blood can lead to crystals forming in the joints and tissues, w...

Overview Some foods produce uric acid, and some reduce it. What is the gout diet? What is a low purine diet? Purines are chemicals that are naturally found in certain foods and drinks. When your body breaks down these chemicals, uric acid is the byproduct. A low-purine diet reduces the foods and drinks with the highest purine content to reduce uric acid. It also encourages some select foods that may reduce uric acid levels in your body. Who can benefit from a low purine diet? Anyone with high uric acid levels in their blood (hyperuricemia) can benefit from reducing high-purine foods. This may help to prevent gout in people with hyperuricemia who haven’t yet developed the disease. It may also help prevent existing gout from progressing and prevent other complications of hyperuricemia, such as Procedure Details What foods make gout worse? The top 10 foods and drinks that trigger gout are: • Sugary drinks and sweets. Standard table sugar is half fructose, which breaks down into uric acid. Any food or drink with higher sugar content can trigger gout. • High fructose corn syrup. This is a concentrated form of fructose. If you start looking at labels, you’ll find high fructose corn syrup in all kinds of packaged food products that you wouldn’t necessarily expect. • Alcohol. Even though not all alcoholic drinks are high in purines, alcohol prevents your kidneys from eliminating uric acid, pulling it back into your body, where it continues to accumulate. • Organ meats. These inclu...

What is Uric Acid? Historically, uric acid has been seen as a simple waste product. It was considered harmless unless it leads to gout or kidney stones, a type of arthritis that occurs when so much uric acid builds up it can’t remain dissolved in the bloodstream. Instead, it precipitates into solid crystals, typically forming in the joints. These sharp, needle-like crystals irritate the surrounding tissues, causing inflammation and excruciating pain. In the absence of gout symptoms, doctors were unlikely to be concerned with a patient’s uric acid levels. However, in the last 15 years, medical interest in uric acid has been reinvigorated. Major studies have linked high uric acid ( hyperuricemia ) with several serious illnesses , including heart disease, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and chronic kidney disease. And while the nature of this link is still being studied, uric acid may play a direct, causal role in the development of various illnesses. Uric acid is a common metabolite (a substance produced by normal metabolism) found in humans and countless other forms of life . When organic tissue breaks down, it releases purines—chemical compounds that occur when DNA or RNA are broken down—and uric acid forms. Many organs, including the liver, kidneys, and intestines , can create uric acid. It can be generated from both sources in your body (such as your own tissue, which regularly breaks down and is rebuilt) and external source...