What is the purpose of blood uric acid test?

The article was consulted professionally with Master, Doctor Do Thi Hoang Ha - Doctor of Biochemistry - Laboratory of Laboratory - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Uric acid test is an important test, done very commonly in general health examination as well as to evaluate and support the diagnosis of diseases that cause changes in uric acid levels in the body.

Uric acid has a molecular weight of 169 Dalton, formula C5H4N4O3, is the degradation product of the purine nucleus of nucleic acids. The main sources of uric acid in the body include:
Foods and drinks rich in purines such as animal organs, seafood, fish, meat, beer, wine (exogenous origin) Cells in the body When aging, dying, its purine nucleus is destroyed and forms uric acid, this is called endogenous source of uric acid. Uric acid is synthesized mainly in the liver, a small amount is synthesized in the intestinal mucosa, is eliminated from the body 80% via urine and 20% through the gastrointestinal tract. If the process of synthesis and excretion of uric acid is balanced, the amount of uric acid in the blood will be within normal limits. If the amount of uric acid is made too much or the ability of the kidneys to eliminate it is reduced, the amount of uric acid in the blood will increase and be deposited in the joints and soft tissues. Uric acid deposition in the joints can cause gout, a metabolic disorder in which an inflammatory response to the deposition of urate crystals is characterized by painful swelling of the joints. bouncing. If uric acid is deposited in the kidneys, it can cause kidney stones, and if it is deposited in the heart, it will cause cardiovascular disease,...

The uric acid test is done to diagnose conditions that cause changes in uric acid levels in the body such as in many kidney dysfunction and metabolic disorders, including kidney failure, gout, leukemia, psoriasis. , malnutrition or other debilitating conditions, and in patients receiving cytotoxic drugs.
Doctors appoint uric acid test in the following cases:
Diagnose gout when the patient has appropriate clinical symptoms. Blood uric acid testing is also performed periodically to monitor gout patients during treatment. Monitor kidney function after an injury, diagnose kidney dysfunction or find the cause of kidney stones. Monitor patients before and after cancer treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy to make sure uric acid in the blood does not rise too high.

Blood uric acid test is done in the morning, patients need to fast for at least 4 hours before taking blood, can drink filtered water. Blood samples will be placed in a test tube containing anticoagulant, centrifuged before conducting analysis. The test takes about 1 hour.
Normal blood uric acid index in men is 202-416 μmol/l, in women is 143-399 μmol/l (concentration may vary depending on laboratories, chemicals and equipment). use)
If the test results show that the blood uric acid is higher than the normal value, the patient's body may be producing more uric acid or the ability to excrete uric acid through the urine is reduced. Common causes of hyperuricemia are:
Diet with too much protein, seafood, drinking a lot of alcohol. Patients with abnormal metabolic enzymes are prone to disorder in urinary uric acid release. Patients with gout, causing acute attacks of arthritis. Patients with primary hyperuricemia (up to 30% of gout patients are idiopathic) Patients with cancer diseases such as multiple myeloma, metastatic cancer,...and/or undergoing treatment. cancer by means of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These methods increase cell destruction, causing hyperuricemia. Patients with kidney failure, impaired kidney function will reduce the ability to excrete uric acid from the body. People with diabetes, hypoparathyroidism or hypothyroidism Patients with obesity or due to excessive fasting. Lead poisoning Patients with lactic acidosis, congestive heart failure Pregnancy toxicity (pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome) Use of drugs that reduce uric acid excretion through the urine (aspirin, diuretics..) Epstein-Barr virus infection

Uric acid in the blood can decrease in cases such as:
Fanconi syndrome: is a rare renal tubular dysfunction, the ability to reabsorb substances such as glucose, uric acid, potassium,... concentrations of these substances decrease in the blood. Wilson's disease is an inherited condition that causes excess copper to accumulate in the body. SIADH syndrome (syndrome of inappropriate urinary hormone secretion) Poor diet of foods containing purines, patients with alcoholism or liver and kidney diseases. Celiac disease, Hodgkin's disease, acromegaly Using drugs that increase uric acid excretion through urine (allopurinol, cortisone, salicylad, ascorbic acid..) Using cytotoxic drugs during treatment Cancer Because blood uric acid test results can be erroneous when patients drink alcohol, use pain relievers such as ibuprofen, aspirin, theophylline, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, corticosteroids, drugs, or foods. Vitamin C products, ... Patients need to inform the doctor about all the drugs and supplements they are using, this will help the doctor evaluate the test more accurately. Uric acid test results will help in diagnosis, monitoring treatment as well as adjusting diet. When detecting that a patient has an increased uric acid status, it is necessary to instruct the patient to drink a lot of water, reduce the intake of purine-rich foods, and avoid alcohol use to prevent the risk of diseases due to increased uric acid or worse. existing disease.

Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the hospitals that not only ensures professional quality with a team of leading doctors, modern equipment and technology, but also stands out for its examination and consulting services. and comprehensive, professional medical treatment; civilized, polite, safe and sterile medical examination and treatment space. Customers when choosing to perform tests here can be completely assured of the accuracy of test results.