Uric Acid
Formal name: Uric Acid
At A Glance
Why get tested?
To detect high levels of uric acid, which could be a sign of the condition gout, or to monitor uric acid levels when undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment
When to get tested?
When monitoring certain chemotherapy or radiation therapies for cancer; when you have joint pain or other symptoms that your doctor suspects may be due to gout
Sample required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in the arm
The Test Sample
What is being tested?
Uric acid is produced by the breakdown of purines. Purines are chemicals that come from nucleic acids (DNA). They enter the circulation from digestion of foods or from normal breakdown and turnover of cells in the body. Most uric acid is removed by the kidneys and disposed of in the urine; the remainder is excreted in the feces.
If too much uric acid is produced or not enough is excreted, it can accumulate. The presence of excess uric acid can cause the condition called gout – an inflammation that occurs in joints when crystals derived from uric acid form in the joint fluid.
The most common reasons for accumulation of uric acid are an inherited tendency to overproduce uric acid or impaired kidney function that results in decreased ability to excrete uric acid.
How is the sample collected for testing?
A blood sample is obtained by inserting a needle into a vein in your arm.
How is it used?
The uric acid test is used to learn whether the body might be breaking down cells too quickly or not getting rid of uric acid quickly enough. The test also is used to monitor levels of uric acid when a patient has had chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
When is it ordered?
The uric acid test is ordered when a doctor suspects high levels of uric acid. Some patients with high levels of uric acid have a disease called gout, which is an inherited disorder that affects purine breakdown. Patients with gout suffer from joint pain, most often in their toes but in other joints as well. The test also is ordered as a monitoring test when a patient has undergone chemotherapy or radiation, to learn whether uric acid levels are getting dangerously high. The test may also be ordered if a patient appears to have failing kidneys. Patients who have high uric acid levels are sometimes put on a drug regimen to help lower uric acid levels.
What does the test result mean?
NOTE: A standard reference range is not available for this test. Because reference values are dependent on many factors, including patient age, gender, sample population, and test method, numeric test results have different meanings in different labs. Your lab report should include the specific reference range for your test. Lab Tests Online strongly recommends that you discuss your test results with your doctor. For more information on reference ranges, please read Reference Ranges and What They Mean.
Higher than normal uric acid levels mean that the body is not handling the breakdown of purines well. The doctor will have to learn whether the cause is the over-production of uric acid, or if the body is unable to clear away the uric acid.
Increased concentrations of uric acid can cause crystals to form in the joints, which leads to the joint inflammation and pain characteristic of gout. Uric acid can also form crystals or kidney stones that can damage the kidneys.
Low levels of uric acid in the blood are seen much less commonly than high levels and are seldom considered cause for concern. Although low values can be associated with some kinds of liver or kidney diseases, exposure to toxic compounds, and rarely as the result of an inherited metabolic defect, these conditions are typically identified by other tests and symptoms and not by an isolated low uric acid result.
Is there anything else I should know?
Many drugs can increase or decrease the level of uric acid. In particular, diuretic drugs like thiazide drugs can cause uric acid levels to go up.
Aspirin (and other salicylates) have varying effects on uric acid. At low aspirin levels (as may occur in persons taking aspirin only occasionally), aspirin can increase blood uric acid. On the other hand, in high doses (as may be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis), aspirin actually lowers the concentration of uric acid.
For people who have uric acid kidney stones or gout, foods that are high in purine content should be avoided, including organ meats (like liver and kidneys), sardines and anchovies. Alcohol also should be avoided, because it slows down the removal of uric acid from the body. Fasting, a starvation diet, and strenuous exercise all raise uric acid levels.
Although the uric acid test cannot definitively diagnose gout, a test for monosodium urate in synovial fluid (joint fluid) can.
Can high levels of uric acid be lowered easily or will drugs have to be taken for life?
Depending on the condition that causes the high levels of uric acid, one may not need to take drugs. If there is a sudden attack caused by high uric acid, as with an attack of gout, a doctor may treat the patient with the drug colchicine and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as aspirin or ibuprofen. This treatment usually is short-term.
However, a patient may have to stay on a maintenance therapy for a few years, until the uric acid levels come under control. One may be given drugs that help to rid the system of uric acid salts, such as probenecid, or one may be given drugs that interfere with uric acid production, such as allopurinol. If a patient has had chemotherapy or radiation, the patient may have to take uric acid tests more often and possibly treat the condition over time.
Formal name: Uric Acid
At A Glance
Why get tested?
To detect high levels of uric acid, which could be a sign of the condition gout, or to monitor uric acid levels when undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment
When to get tested?
When monitoring certain chemotherapy or radiation therapies for cancer; when you have joint pain or other symptoms that your doctor suspects may be due to gout
Sample required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in the arm
The Test Sample
What is being tested?
Uric acid is produced by the breakdown of purines. Purines are chemicals that come from nucleic acids (DNA). They enter the circulation from digestion of foods or from normal breakdown and turnover of cells in the body. Most uric acid is removed by the kidneys and disposed of in the urine; the remainder is excreted in the feces.
If too much uric acid is produced or not enough is excreted, it can accumulate. The presence of excess uric acid can cause the condition called gout – an inflammation that occurs in joints when crystals derived from uric acid form in the joint fluid.
The most common reasons for accumulation of uric acid are an inherited tendency to overproduce uric acid or impaired kidney function that results in decreased ability to excrete uric acid.
How is the sample collected for testing?
A blood sample is obtained by inserting a needle into a vein in your arm.
How is it used?
The uric acid test is used to learn whether the body might be breaking down cells too quickly or not getting rid of uric acid quickly enough. The test also is used to monitor levels of uric acid when a patient has had chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
When is it ordered?
The uric acid test is ordered when a doctor suspects high levels of uric acid. Some patients with high levels of uric acid have a disease called gout, which is an inherited disorder that affects purine breakdown. Patients with gout suffer from joint pain, most often in their toes but in other joints as well. The test also is ordered as a monitoring test when a patient has undergone chemotherapy or radiation, to learn whether uric acid levels are getting dangerously high. The test may also be ordered if a patient appears to have failing kidneys. Patients who have high uric acid levels are sometimes put on a drug regimen to help lower uric acid levels.
What does the test result mean?
NOTE: A standard reference range is not available for this test. Because reference values are dependent on many factors, including patient age, gender, sample population, and test method, numeric test results have different meanings in different labs. Your lab report should include the specific reference range for your test. Lab Tests Online strongly recommends that you discuss your test results with your doctor. For more information on reference ranges, please read Reference Ranges and What They Mean.
Higher than normal uric acid levels mean that the body is not handling the breakdown of purines well. The doctor will have to learn whether the cause is the over-production of uric acid, or if the body is unable to clear away the uric acid.
Increased concentrations of uric acid can cause crystals to form in the joints, which leads to the joint inflammation and pain characteristic of gout. Uric acid can also form crystals or kidney stones that can damage the kidneys.
Low levels of uric acid in the blood are seen much less commonly than high levels and are seldom considered cause for concern. Although low values can be associated with some kinds of liver or kidney diseases, exposure to toxic compounds, and rarely as the result of an inherited metabolic defect, these conditions are typically identified by other tests and symptoms and not by an isolated low uric acid result.
Is there anything else I should know?
Many drugs can increase or decrease the level of uric acid. In particular, diuretic drugs like thiazide drugs can cause uric acid levels to go up.
Aspirin (and other salicylates) have varying effects on uric acid. At low aspirin levels (as may occur in persons taking aspirin only occasionally), aspirin can increase blood uric acid. On the other hand, in high doses (as may be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis), aspirin actually lowers the concentration of uric acid.
For people who have uric acid kidney stones or gout, foods that are high in purine content should be avoided, including organ meats (like liver and kidneys), sardines and anchovies. Alcohol also should be avoided, because it slows down the removal of uric acid from the body. Fasting, a starvation diet, and strenuous exercise all raise uric acid levels.
Although the uric acid test cannot definitively diagnose gout, a test for monosodium urate in synovial fluid (joint fluid) can.
Can high levels of uric acid be lowered easily or will drugs have to be taken for life?
Depending on the condition that causes the high levels of uric acid, one may not need to take drugs. If there is a sudden attack caused by high uric acid, as with an attack of gout, a doctor may treat the patient with the drug colchicine and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as aspirin or ibuprofen. This treatment usually is short-term.
However, a patient may have to stay on a maintenance therapy for a few years, until the uric acid levels come under control. One may be given drugs that help to rid the system of uric acid salts, such as probenecid, or one may be given drugs that interfere with uric acid production, such as allopurinol. If a patient has had chemotherapy or radiation, the patient may have to take uric acid tests more often and possibly treat the condition over time.
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