Uric acid • What do high / low values ​​mean?

If the uric acid level is elevated, this is an indication of gout. Excessive blood values ​​can be positively influenced by specific eating and drinking and thus avoid painful gout attacks.

In gout, crystallized uric acid is deposited in the joints.
© iStock.com/VBaleha

If the uric acid level is increased, the secondary disease gout can occur. Uric acid is created when the genetic information of the cells (DNA) is broken down; it is the breakdown product of the purine metabolism. Purines are building blocks of nucleic acids that make up the genetic information. With the consumption of meat, especially offal, humans ingest purines through food. Three quarters of uric acid is eliminated through the kidneys, the rest through the intestines, sweat and saliva.

Purines consumed in moderation are processed into uric acid by the metabolism. However, if the purine content in the ingested food is too high, the metabolism produces more uric acid than can be broken down in the kidneys. Doctors call this condition hyperuricemia.

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Purine-containing foods

Purine-containing foods

When is uric acid determined?

Uric acid levels are measured when the doctor suspects symptoms of gout based on symptoms. The value is also regularly checked for therapy control in the case of kidney dysfunction, the use of certain cancer drugs (cytostatics) and gout patients.

The laboratory value is determined in the blood or by analyzing the synovial fluid. For some examinations, a urine sample (collected 24-hour urine) is also useful.

When is uric acid in the normal range?

The concentration of uric acid in serum and synovial fluid is given either in μmol / l (micromol per liter) or in mg / dl (milligram per deciliter). The urine is measured in mmol / l (millimoles per liter) or grams per day (g / d).

The following normal values ​​apply to uric acid:

uric acid
in the blood serumMen<416 μmol / l<7 mg / dl
Women<357 μmol / l<6 mg / dl
in synovial fluid<420 μmol / l<7 mg / dl
in the urine (24-hour urine)1.5 to 4.5 mmol / l<0.8 g / day

Causes of High Uric Acid

An increased uric acid level is mainly caused by excessive meat consumption and leads to gout. If the values ​​are consistently above normal, uric acid crystals form in the blood. These are deposited on the joints and lead to painful inflammation, the so-called gout (uricopathy).

The uric acid level is also increased with kidney problems such as kidney stones or kidney failure. Patients with an overactive thyroid and parathyroid also often have an elevated value. The value can also be increased during radiation therapy or chemotherapy, and alcohol consumption also increases the uric acid level.

What can be the causes of low uric acid levels?

If the uric acid level in the blood is diagnosed too low, there may be a disorder in the purine metabolism. Liver disease can also be the cause. If allopurinol (a medicine used to treat gout) is overdosed, the uric acid level will also be too low.

Lower uric acid with targeted nutrition

The uric acid concentration can be influenced by a healthy diet and medication. Certain drugs promote uric acid excretion via the kidneys and inhibit the production of uric acid from purines.

Maintaining a low-purine diet is particularly important for gout patients in order to avoid a painful gout attack. One differentiates:

The strictly low-purine diet is only used to treat acute gout attacks. The low-purine diet, on the other hand, can easily be adhered to by everyone. If you are overweight, you need to lose weight. Fasting is not advisable because the increased breakdown of cells increases the uric acid level in the blood.

Less meat and sausage to lower uric acid

Sources of purine are mainly animal foods. The menu should therefore be rich in whole grain products, vegetables and fruits. Milk, dairy products and eggs hardly contain any purines. Alcohol should be avoided as far as possible.

In order to keep the uric acid level in the normal range, it is advisable to reduce the meat portions to a maximum of four small meals per week. Each portion (this also applies to fish, poultry, lamb, offal, shellfish and crustaceans and sausages) should be limited to around 100 grams.

With around 50 mg uric acid in 100 g raw weight, pulses are plant-based foods rich in purine, which should be eaten a maximum of once or twice a month in the case of gout.

Drinking plenty of water (two liters, for example tea, diluted fruit juice, mineral or medicinal water and vegetable juice) also helps against increased uric acid. Alcoholic beverages inhibit the excretion of uric acid through the kidneys: Beer is particularly effective in inhibiting excretion – including non-alcoholic beverages, by the way.

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