KidneyReported in mg/dLUric acid
A waste product of purine breakdown. High levels are the chemical background of gout, and the kidneys do most of the clearing.
What it measures
Purines from your own cells and from food are broken down to uric acid. The kidneys excrete most of it. Men tend to run higher than women before menopause, and the adult intervals on this panel reflect that. A high level does not mean you have gout. Gout is the arthritis that sometimes follows years of a high level, when crystals form in a joint.
Why it is on the panel
Uric acid connects diet, kidneys, and joints. It also rides along with the metabolic pattern of high triglycerides, extra weight, and rising glucose. Seeing it on a preventive panel lets you notice the drift before a red, hot toe announces it.
How to read it
Read it with creatinine and with triglycerides. A high uric acid plus a high creatinine may be reduced excretion. A high uric acid with a normal creatinine is more about production, diet, alcohol, or genetics. One level does not diagnose gout. The painful joint does, often with a clinician’s exam.
When it runs higher
Genetics, kidney disease, diuretics, alcohol (especially beer), fructose, and a diet heavy in purine-rich foods raise uric acid. Cell breakdown after illness or treatment can raise it briefly. Many people with a high level never develop gout. Those who do usually have had high levels for a long time.
When it runs lower
Low uric acid is uncommon. It can follow low purine intake, some kidney tubular disorders, and medicines that increase excretion. It is rarely a clinical problem.
Same group
Other Kidney tests
How to use this page
This page explains what the measurement is for. It is educational. Your Healiam report includes the reference interval for your age and sex, and a clinician reads that result with your history, medicines, and the rest of the panel. Talk with a clinician before changing diet, supplements, or treatment because of a number on a report.
Uric acid
Uric acid is part of the full panel.
No referral or insurance required.
One preventive draw covers this measurement and the rest of the Healiam panel. CLIA-certified results come back in days.