Meaning of blood uric acid test

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1. Origin of uric acid elimination and uric acid test

Uric acid is derived from the catabolism of purine bases including: adenine and guanine of nucleic acids. The main sources of uric acid in the body include: food sources containing high levels of purine compounds or endogenous sources of uric acid produced by the degradation process of nucleic acids in the body.
Uric acid has the main route of elimination from the body through the urine or digestive tract. When the concentration of uric acid in the blood or serum increases too much, it can cause the deposition of uric acid compounds in the joints, as well as in soft tissues, causing gout. Moreover, the excessive amount of uric acid in the urine can cause precipitation to be formed and be a prerequisite for the formation of urate stones in the urinary system of the body.
Uric acid test is a common blood test done to check uric acid levels in blood or urine to check for abnormalities that can cause disease in humans. Thanks to these results, it is possible to diagnose and treat related diseases in the most timely and effective manner.
The main purpose of the uric acid test
Because uric acid in the body is filtered through the kidneys and eliminated by urine and sweat, and up to 95% is reabsorbed in the proximal tubule and excreted in urine. secreted in the distal tubule. In addition, factors such as daily foods containing a lot of protein or elevated status due to impaired kidney function... cause Gout.
Accordingly, the uric acid test can be used to diagnose gout and treat gout, and to help monitor the treatment of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy or to evaluate function. kidney.
In addition, uric acid test is used to diagnose some cases such as xanthinuria - a genetic disorder of metabolism caused by a lack of xanthine oxidase, which is effective in catalyzing the oxidation of xanthine to uric acid. Or fanconi syndrome - a rare disease of renal tubular dysfunction caused by the ability to reabsorb substances such as glucose, uric acid... or reduce the concentration of these substances in the blood. In addition, Wilson's disease - an inherited disease that causes copper accumulation and causes an excess of copper in the body.

2. Meaning of uric acid test

Specimens used when performing uric acid tests are done through plasma, separated from whole blood and using anticoagulant Heparin. When performing the test, the patient should fast from 4 to 8 hours and not use drugs, supplements, stimulants, and alcohol before the test to obtain accurate results. .
Uric acid levels in the body can help your doctor determine the health-related problems you are experiencing and help you come up with an appropriate treatment plan. Limits of uric acid concentration in normal people are divided by sex:
For men, the concentration does not exceed 7 mg/dl or from 210 to 420umol/L. For women, do not exceed 6m/dl or 150 to 35 umol/L. When uric acid levels are higher than normal, it can be a warning sign that the body is making more uric acid or that the body's kidney function is declining. In the early stages when uric acid levels are high, there may not be any clinical signs or symptoms and this stage is not gout, but only hyperuricemia. However, with high intensity, prolonged blood uric acid levels cause urate crystals to crystallize in the joints of the extremities, causing acute gout attacks with the main manifestation of intense joint pain and often occurring. at night.
Uric acid levels above 6 mg/dl - 7mg/dl are still considered normal although they are higher than in women. However, patients do not need to undergo treatment, but only need to change their diet and daily exercise. If the index is above 7mg/dl to 10mg/dl, then there are signs of gradual increase but no specific symptoms. Therefore, this stage is quite important to accurately determine the condition caused by increased uric acid. A reading above 12mg/dl means that at this time, there are signs of acute pain due to gout. At the same time, there is swelling and inflammation in the joints of the toes, wrists... The uric acid test results may be erroneous due to some cases of patients drinking alcohol, or using pain relievers such as ibuprofen or aspirin or beta-blockers or ACE inhibitors... Accordingly, the patient needs to inform the doctor about the list of drugs he has ever used so that the doctor can make a more accurate assessment of the test results.

3. Some causes of hyperuricemia

Hyperuricemia often occurs from the following causes:
Increased production of uric acid in the body with cases such as primary hyperuricemia usually occurs with 30% of gout patients in the idiopathic group. Or cases with tissue destruction, people with increased cell metabolism such as lymphoma, cancer cells. Or hemolytic anemia in cases of malaria. Reducing the ability to eliminate uric acid through the kidneys in cases of renal failure, alcoholism, use of diuretics, damage to the distal renal tubules, use of drugs that reduce urinary uric acid load, or infection. acid. May be caused by genetic agents with diseases such as Lesch - Nyhan caused because the body does not contain the enzyme HPRT 1. This causes hyperuricemia and gout. For cases with signs of hyperuricemia, there is no need to worry too much. However, you still need to keep an eye on this indicator. In case you see an increase in uric acid levels, along with symptoms in the joints and kidneys, the first thing you need to adjust is the right diet to not create more uric acid in the body. Accordingly, you can do it by reducing foods with purine content in your daily diet. The goal is not to increase uric acid levels in the body.
The meaning of the uric acid index helps to reflect the health status of each person, especially in those at risk of gout. Therefore, you should perform periodic health checks to be able to promptly detect abnormalities affecting your health.

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