Uric Acid
Also written as: Urate, Serum uric acid
A waste product of purine breakdown, linked to gout and kidney stones and cleared by the kidneys.
What it measures
The concentration of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a waste product made when the body breaks down purines, substances found in many foods and in the body's own cells. The kidneys remove most of it in the urine.
Why a doctor orders it
Commonly ordered when gout (a painful joint condition caused by urate crystals) or certain kidney stones are being considered. It is also checked during some cancer treatments, when large numbers of cells break down at once and release purines.
What is generally associated with a higher result
Broadly associated with gout, some types of kidney stone, and reduced clearance by the kidneys. Levels also rise with purine-rich diets, alcohol, fasting, and several common medications, including diuretics (water pills) and low-dose aspirin.
What is generally associated with a lower result
Broadly associated with certain medications and, rarely, inherited differences in purine handling. Low values are generally not pursued.
Everyday things that move this number
Not every shift in a value reflects disease. These are ordinary factors known to affect this particular measurement:
- A meal heavy in red meat, organ meat, or seafood before the draw
- Alcohol, especially beer
- Dehydration, which concentrates uric acid in the blood
- Diuretic (water pill) medications and low-dose aspirin
- Fasting or rapid weight loss
Questions to take to your appointment
- Could any of my regular medications be raising this?
- Is this being checked because of joint symptoms, kidney stones, or something else?
- Would rechecking after changes to diet or alcohol be informative?
Build a printable questionnaire with your own results →
Where to read more
MedlinePlus, from the US National Library of Medicine, publishes patient-facing pages on individual lab tests and is a reliable next stop: medlineplus.gov/lab-tests .
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