The uric acid test is used to measure the uric acid present in the blood. This test helps to determine how well your body produces and excretes uric acid.
What is Uric acid?
Uric acid is a chemical formed when the body breaks down substances called purines. Purines are usually produced naturally in the body and also found in certain food and drinks like peas, dried beans, mackerel, liver, beer, etc. Most uric acid gets dissolved in blood and travel to the kidney and passes out in urine. If your blood contains the high level of uric acid it means it is not being excreted in the urine. High levels of uric acid in the blood is called hyperuricemia. High levels of uric acid are also associated with gout. A gout is a form of arthritis that causes swelling of the joints, particularly in the feet and big toes. Another factor for high uric acid levels is cell death. It may be due to cancer therapy.
So this uric acid test is used to diagnose gout, kidney function, kidney stones or kidney disorders.
Why this test is performed?
This test may be recommended to you if you experience certain symptoms like joint pains, swollen joints, frequent kidney stones, about to start chemotherapy or already on chemotherapy, history of gout, etc.
Precautions:
Uric acid test results may be altered by different factors like genetics, purine-rich diet like dried beans, peas, fish, sardines, organ meat, etc, obesity, alcoholism, psoriasis, hypothyroidism, renal insufficiency where kidneys are unable to filter waste, tumor lysis syndrome is a condition where there is a rapid release of cells into blood caused by certain cancers or due to chemotherapy for such cancers, immune-suppressing drugs like cyclosporine, azathioprine, etc, diuretics like thiazide, furosemide, torsemide, etc, niacin or vitamin B3, levodopa.
Inform your doctor if you are on any medications, have any allergies or underlying medical conditions before your Uric Acid. Your doctor will give specific instructions depending on your condition on how to prepare for Uric Acid.
Do not take any food or drinks for at least for 4 hours prior to the test unless told otherwise. Some medicines may interfere with the test results, your healthcare provider may ask you to stop medications for a few days before the test. Hence inform about your current medical condition and medications to the doctor or technician before the test.
Uric acid test results may vary depending on gender. Usually, normal values for women are less compared to men.
High levels of uric acid in your blood may indicate gout, which may lead to recurrence of acute arthritis, diabetes, acidosis, lead poisoning, polycythemia vera, a diet which contains more number of purines, kidney stones, acute kidney failure or kidney disorders, cancer of plasma cells in bone marrow, cancer that do not spread from its original site (metastasized cancer), bone marrow disorders like leukemia, hypoparathyroidism, toxemia of pregnancy, etc. There might be chances of having high uric acid without the symptoms of gout. The uric acid test is not the definitive test for gout. There are other tests to confirm gout.
Low levels of uric acid in the blood may indicate an inherited disease which can build up copper in your body tissues called as Wilson's disease, Fanconi syndrome which is a kidney disorder usually caused by cystinosis, liver or kidney disease, low diet purines, etc.
If you get abnormal test results, consult your doctor immediately. Your doctor may recommend other tests depending on your results.
| Gender | Age groups | Value |
| MALE | All age groups | 3.4-7 mg/dl |
| FEMALE | All age groups | 2.4-6mg/dl |