Hyperuricemia, excess uric acid in the blood, can be caused by various diseases, medications, and dietary factors. It can lead to kidney or bladder stones and gout. Vegetarian diets may help prevent it. Treatment involves reducing uric acid levels with drugs, but they can have adverse side effects. Research is ongoing to develop drugs with fewer side effects.
Hyperuricemia is the presence of excess uric acid in the blood products of the body. Several diseases, such as hyperthyroidism or an excessive level of thyroid hormones in the body, can cause hyperuricemia. It can also be caused by inflammation of the kidneys, called nephritis. Those with multiple sclerosis may be prone to hyperuricemia, and people with bone marrow cancer may also be at risk.
People who are fed intravenously may also be at risk for high uric acid content. Some medications such as allopurinol, used to treat gout, can also cause hyperuricemia, as well as heavy drinking or alcoholism. High levels of fructose, fruit sugars, and fruit juices can also cause the condition.
Hyperuricemia can also be the causal factor for several conditions. High concentrations of uric acid can lead to kidney or bladder stones, which must either be painfully passed or surgically removed. High uric acid can also be a causative factor for gout, which is painful arthritis of the joints.
Humans lack the enzyme that breaks down uric acid, and normally, most people show a normal range or substance. Normal is defined as no more than 6 milligrams per deciliter of blood in women and no more than 7 milligrams per deciliter of blood in men. Vegetarians often have much less uric acid, because they don’t consume meat, which is quite high in uric acid. If you are borderline measured, adapting to a vegetarian diet may correct the problem so that it does not progress to hyperuricemia.
Diagnosis is made by evaluating both urine and blood samples. The presence of kidney or bladder stones, or the presence of gout, or any of the above diseases or predispositions for hyperuricemia may indicate regular testing. Where hyperuricemia is persistent, treatment focuses on reducing the amount of uric acid in the body.
Several drugs, called uricosurics, can break down uric acid. These include probenecid and sulfinpyrazone. Most uricosurics, however, can have adverse side effects and may be contraindicated in the elderly, as they can be toxic. Occasionally those taking these drugs can develop hypersensitivity to them, which can rapidly lead to kidney failure in worst-case scenarios.
Treatment of this condition remains problematic due to significant side effects of uricosurics. Current research involves the development of drugs with fewer side effects. There is little ongoing research to eradicate hyperuricemia, although research into some of its causative conditions may ultimately reduce its incidence.
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