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What is uric acid? uric acid test

Uric acid is a compound normally present in the blood. When it is too high, it can cause joint or urinary problems.
Uric acid is a compound normally present in the blood. When it is too high, it can cause joint or urinary problems.

What is uric acid?


It is a biochemical compound present in the blood and can be measured, which corresponds to the degradation of the purines (components of the DNA of the cells). Purines are found in the body after being absorbed during digestion. Purines also come from the cellular renewal of the body (cells die and purines will then be released in the body).
Uric acid in the body is eliminated by urine and stool. Sometimes uric acid is found in excess in the body. In this case, uric acid can precipitate in the form of crystals in certain places: in certain organs, or certain tissues. This phenomenon is the cause of joint pain symptoms (gout attack), urinary ( renal colic ) or cutaneous.
Uric acid is present in the blood, its rate is called uricemia.

What is uric acid? uric acid test

Normal Rate ... and Abnormal Values


Uric acid is dosed by taking a blood test.
Normal values are included:
> between 150 and 350 mmole / l in women.
> between 300 and 420 mmol / l in humans.
These standards may vary slightly depending on the analytical laboratory.
Beyond these figures, uric acid is found in excess in the blood and in the body. We talk about hyperuricemia.
The decrease of uric acid in the blood is more rarely observed, and little taken into account. It is 


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Uric acid: Signs of an increase in uric acid

 Some symptoms may prompt the doctor to prescribe a blood test to seek an increase in uric acid, hyperuricemia.
In the case of urinary calculus, the doctor performs a check-up in which he asks - among others - the dosage of uric acid in the blood.
In the case of joint pain on the foot (big toe), on a knee, the doctor may also request a blood test to dose uric acid. This joint pain can be the symptom of a gout attack confirmed by a high level of uric acid.
There may also be cutaneous manifestations (concretions under the skin) called "gouty tophus".
It also happens that no sign reveals the elevation of uricemia. And it is a blood test that can identify it.

Causes Of Uric Acid Too High


Uric acid may be too high for various reasons and in particular medicated. Indeed, some drugs may increase uric acid (such as diuretic medications prescribed to treat high blood pressure or heart failure ). Aspirin can also increase the level of uric acid in the blood.
Other causes are mainly metabolic, linked to hereditary factors that cause difficulty in eliminating uric acid (sometimes due to insufficient kidney elimination).
A too high level of uric acid can usually be taken care of by a general practitioner. If this hyperuricemia is not associated with any other specific symptoms or pathologies, the treatment requires taking some dietary advice and taking medication (against hyperuricemia). For more complex cases, more sophisticated balances may be prescribed. And it may be advisable to consult a rheumatologist, a nephrologist, a urologist or a dermatologist ... depending on the organ affected.
Sources and notes:
> Moreland LW and al, treatment for hyperuricemia and gout? New England Journal of Medicine 2005; 353: 25-05 -7.

 

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observed in certain diseases of the kidneys or of the liver.