Uric acid is an organic compound made up of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen that is formed when metabolism breaks down purines, substances found in some foods and beverages such as liver, anchovies, beans, mackerel or beer, among others.
Almost all uric acid is dissolved in the blood that travels directly to the kidneys. From there it is excreted in the urine in the form of sodium salts or in free form.
If the body produces too much uric acid or does not eliminate enough it can cause hyperuricemia , gout to develop and can also lead to kidney stones that could block the urinary tract and cause kidney infections and / or kidney failure. It can also rise if it is not eliminated enough in the urine.
How are high uric acid levels detected?
To know if the amount of uric acid in the blood is adequate, they can be verified by means of an analysis through a blood sample.
In order for the results to be reliable, specialists recommend not eating any food or drink during the four hours prior to the test. In addition, although some pharmacological treatments could alter the results. Specialists advise asking the doctor first and not withdrawing or modifying the doses before talking to him.
The main reasons why the test may be requested are to check blood uric acid levels and confirm or rule out whether this could lead to the development of diseases such as kidney disease or gout.
In addition, if the patient is to undergo chemotherapy treatment, the physician may also request the test before treatment begins. This is justified in that during cancer treatment, cells rich in purines are destroyed and, in addition, patients can lose weight very quickly and as a consequence, the amount of uric acid in the blood can be increased.
Such an analysis may also be requested if the patient has chronic kidney disease, chronic gouty arthritis, or kidney injury.
Red meats usually have high levels of purine.
Causes
There are different reasons why uric acid levels can rise above normal. The main reasons are:
- Having done some type of exercise excessivelyfor a long period of time.
- Having acidosis.
- Being an alcoholic.
- It is one of the most common side effects experienced by patients who are undergoing or have undergone a chemotherapyagainst cancer .
- Leukemia.
- Drop.
- Type 1 and 2 diabetes.
- Polycythemia vera.
- Medullary cystic kidney disease.
- Having suffered from lead poisoning.
- Produce toxemia of pregnancy.
- Follow a diet rich in purines. Both red and white meats are one of the food groups with the highest amount of purines. Seafood and fish such as cod, crab, lobster or tuna also have high levels.
- Having kidney failure.
Although less common, patients may also have lower than normal uric acid levels. These circumstances can occur if the patient is diagnosed with Fanconi syndrome or a syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone. Also, it may be because you are on a low purine diet or have Wilson disease.
Associated pathologies
In human blood, the concentration of normal uric acid is between 2.5 mg / dl and 6 in women and up to 7.5 in men. If the person follows a vegetarian or vegan diet , these levels may be lower.
High levels of this compound are associated in most cases with gout, although the increase in levels may also be due to hyperuricemia, which in many cases can be asymptomatic.
When uric acid levels in the blood are high, patients can develop kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) if the acid crystallizes in the kidney or urinary tract.
In addition to kidney stones, other symptoms that can help the specialist diagnose gout or hyperuricemia, is that in some cases the patient may suffer from kidney disease and arthritis , among other pathologies.
