Normal Uric Acid Levels to Prevent Gout

Normal Uric Acid Levels to Prevent Gout What are normal uric acid levels? And what's the link between high acid levels and gout? Here you'll discover what 'normal' means and how maintaining these normal levels can help you to prevent gout. What is Uric Acid and Where Does it Come From? It's produced in the body when 'purines' break down during the natural metabolizing process. Purines are chemicals found in the body's cells. They help convert genes to protein, provide cells' energy needs, rid cells of excess nitrogen, and are powerful antioxidants, protecting against cancer-causing agents. They are also present in our food - animals and plants. Uric acid itself is of benefit to the body. One of several benefits is that it helps to protect our blood vessels. So normal levels are a good thing. It's only when there are higher than normal levels present that there can be problems such as gout... What is the Link Between Uric Acid and Gout? Gout is caused by microscopic needle-like urate crystals that lodge in the joints and connective tissue. They can also be deposited in the kidneys where they can fuse together to cause painful kidney stones. The symptoms of gout appear because the body's defense mechanism views these crystals as 'invaders' so it triggers it's natural inflammatory process which floods the affected area with white blood cells and other chemicals. It's this reaction that causes the gout symptoms of redness, swelling, stiffness, heat, inflammation and agonizing pain. Gout crystals only form when there are higher than normal levels of uric acid present in the bloodstream; a condition called 'hyperuricemia.' So, the underlying cause of gout is hyperuricemia. What Causes Hyperuricemia? In a healthy body the kidneys process and excrete excess levels of acid via urine. A smaller amount is excreted through stools. This process helps maintain normal uric acid levels in the body. Unfortunately, there are certain conditions that can cause hyperuricemia. The two considered here are inefficient kidney function, and, acid over-production. In certain cases both can occur at the same time. When either or both of these happen excess acid is retained in the bloodstream which, over time, gives the ideal conditions for urate crystals to form and so cause gout. What Are Normal Uric Acid Levels? The problem with trying to define what normal levels are -- especially in terms of gout -- is that different labs produce different sets of figures for 'normal.' It also varies across countries. Many labs report back on a patient's blood test as being high, normal or low. The problem is that 'normal' is based on a 'reference range calculation' which can vary across different labs. This leads to the situation where you can have a patient in one part of the country given a 'normal' report and another in another part of the country (or different country) given a 'high' one, even although their blood measurements were exactly the same at the time of the tests. There is a further complication: According to Wikipedia, gout can occur with serum (blood) uric acid levels as low as 6 mg/dL (6 milligrams per decilitre). But, someone can have levels as high as 9.6 mg/dL and still not have gout. Unfortunately, the exact reason(s) for this isn't fully understood. Taking lab variations into account a normal range could be considered to be between 3.5 mg/dL and 7.2 mg/dL, according to MedlinePlus. However, in terms of the risk of gout, it might be prudent to accept 'normal' uric acid levels are those not greater than 6 mg/dL. That means considering anything over 6 mg/dL and up to 7 mg/dL as being a risk and over 7 mg/dL as being a high risk of gout. How to Prevent Hyperuricemia There are prescription drugs to help inhibit the production of uric acid. These are usually taken over the longer-term and can have some side effects for some patients. Many patients have to take these drugs for the rest of their lives to maintain their levels within 'normal' range. Your doctor may also recommend a low-purine diet that will avoid those foods that are high in purines. Typically, these are things like organ meat, shellfish, some types of fish, game and game birds, gravies, yeast and yeast extracts, dried legumes, spinach, mushrooms, cauliflower and asparagus. And there are herbal remedies, certain fruits and vegetables, and dietary supplements, etc., that can also help to reduce your acid to normal levels. You've now seen how hyperuricemia causes gout and how you can help to prevent gout by maintaining normal uric acid levels. You've also had a brief outline on ways to do this.