Increased levels of uric acid in the blood cause urate salt crystals to be deposited in the joints, which is the main cause of gout. However, only when uric acid in the blood increases to a certain level does it cause this disease. Increased uric acid is not necessarily gout but this is a symptom of increased uric acid in the blood. If you are wondering if this dangerously elevated uric acid in your blood is not, do not ignore the information in this article.
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Learn about hyperuricemia
Uric acid is a metabolic product of the purine nucleus that is excreted by the kidneys, when the body produces too much or the body excretes too little uric acid, causing them to accumulate in the body, leading to an increase in uric acid in the body. blood. It is a fact that many people believe that every increase in uric acid in the blood causes gout. However, this is a misconception because in the diagnosis of gout, there is not only an increase in uric acid in the blood, but also uric acid deposition that causes damage in joints and other organs.
Normally, the amount of uric acid in the body will be kept at a stable level below 7.0 mg / dl (420 micromol / l, always balanced during the synthesis and elimination of these substances. Equal between two processes of synthesis and excretion such as increased uric acid synthesis or decreased uric acid excretion from the body will cause an increase in the concentration of uric acid in the blood.When the concentration of uric acid in the blood in men is over 7.0 mg / dl (or over 420 micromol / l), in women over 6.0 mg / l (360 micromol / l) are all considered hyperuricemia in the blood.
As can be seen, hyperuricemia is only one of the risk factors for the development of gout. Many people have increased uric acid in their blood for many years but do not have acute gout pain. There are also gout patients whose uric acid levels are lower than normal on uric acid testing. This is also the reason that the increased blood uric acid levels are not within the standards used to diagnose gout.
Is uric acid in the blood dangerous?
Any part of the body that goes too high or too low is not good. If the concentration of uric acid in the blood increases, it can not only cause the deposition of urate salts in the joints leading to gout but also has many other potential dangers. May be mentioned as:
- Causing hypertension: According to scientific studies, people with primary hypertension, when left untreated, often have an increase in uric acid in the blood accounting for 25-60%, in adolescents, billions this rate accounts for 90%.
- Increased risk of kidney disease: Increased blood uric acid levels also affect kidney function. When uric acid increases, it damages blood vessels, causing loss of the self-regulation mechanism of the kidneys, especially dangerous for diabetic patients.
- Effects on vascular cells: As mentioned, an increase in the concentration of uric acid in the blood will damage the blood vessels, affect the function of the endothelial cells, if prolonged, it damages the wall. circuit.
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease: Increased uric acid concentration in the blood is also a factor of predictive value for cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease, heart failure.
- Kidney stones: Kidney stones or uric stones are one of the complications of chronic gout with symptoms such as hip cramps, genital pain, blood in the urine …
Causes of increased uric acid in the blood
It can be seen that the increase in uric acid in the blood is very dangerous, which can cause many other health problems. In particular, if you have gout that increases uric acid in the blood, it will be very dangerous and difficult to treat. There are many main causes of this condition including:
- Due to the impaired uric acid secretion in the primary tubular multiple etiology, this is the most common group of causes, accounting for nearly 90% of cases. This group of family nature, occurs due to eating a lot of foods containing purines, the onset is often caused by drinking too much alcohol.
- Due to primary uric acid formation, usually congenital, is a very rare group of causes, only 1%. Mainly due to partial or total deficiency of the enzyme hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase or possibly due to increased activity of the enzyme phosphoribosylpyrophosphate.
- The group of causes of secondary increase in uric acid, which usually occurs due to increased uric acid production by the body is caused by drinking a lot of alcohol, eating more foods containing purines (especially red meat such as dogs, cows, goats, fish. sea…). It can also be caused by hemolytic anemia, increased cell destruction in bone marrow pain, leukemia, psoriasis, due to the use of cytotoxic chemicals to treat cancer.
- Sometimes, the increase in uric acid also comes from the decrease in uric acid secretion in the kidney, the cause is due to the patient’s own chronic kidney failure, alcoholism, hypertension, diabetes, fasting ketoacidosis. long-term or lactic acidosis in alcoholics.
- In addition, the increase in the concentration of uric acid in the blood also comes from the reduction of uric acid secretion by the body due to drug use. Usually these drugs are tuberculosis drugs (ethambutol, pyrazinamide), prolonged diuretics (thiazide, furosemide), ethacrynic acid medicine, nicotinic acid, low dose phenylbutazone.
Treatment increases the concentration of uric acid in the blood
Treatment for hyperuricemia helps to limit and stop acute attacks of gout. In addition, it also helps prevent the risk of disease progressing into chronic kidney stones – kidney failure, toilets. The treatment for increased uric acid is as follows:
1. For asymptomatic uric acid increase
After the examination, doctors will prescribe medication if the uric acid level in the blood is too high. Up to 10-12 mg / dl (about 700 micromol / l), or when the body develops acute uric acid production, usually in chemotherapy because cancer destroys many cells. .
Sometimes patients will be prescribed prophylactic therapy to prevent hyperuricemia in the blood. Mainly to avoid complications of acute renal failure when urate salt crystals are deposited in the renal tubules. The drugs used in this case are uric acid digesters (uricase enzyme – brand name Uricozym), xanthine oxidase inhibitors such as tisopurine, allopurinol.
2. For uric acid increase test regularly
If the hyperuricemia in the blood is over 10 mg / dl and tested regularly, it cannot be improved by adjusting the diet, the family has a history of gout, increased uric acid when kidney stones, kidney stones There are signs of damage, the drug must be used to reduce uric acid. Do not use a group of drugs that increase uric acid excretion such as probenecid for patients with kidney disease with manifestations of kidney failure, toilose seed, a history of or are suffering from kidney stones, and decreased renal urate excretion.
Besides, with cases of moderate increase in the concentration of uric acid in the blood, ie less than 10mg / dl and no other symptoms, it can be adjusted by diet and activity. At this time, the patient needs to use drugs to treat that can lower uric acid in the blood by natural methods.
What to do when increasing the concentration of uric acid in the blood?
If your blood uric acid level is moderate, you can make adjustments through your diet to bring this level to the allowable level. As follows:
About eating
A healthy diet is not only good for gout prevention, but also helps to control and bring uric acid levels in the blood to normal levels. When this occurs, the patient should:
- Increase your intake of foods with uric acid elimination functions such as cherries, strawberries, cucumbers, mustard greens, foods rich in vitamin C, celery, cabbage, zucchini, radish, cauliflower, broccoli …
- Increase your intake of omega-3 rich foods such as salmon, mackerel, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, spinach, and spinach.
- Should use starches, carbohydrate rich foods; white meats such as pork, chicken breast, river fish meat; whole grains; fruits such as grapes, watermelon, apples, pears …
- Should abstain from foods high in purines such as red meat, animal organs; Some vegetables such as bamboo shoots, water spinach, spinach, sprouts, peas …
- Abstain from high-fat, protein-rich, high-sugar, fast foods, and fatty foods
- Absolutely do not drink alcohol, especially beer because it contains many unhealthy purines
- Should drink 2 – 2.5 liters of water per person to support the elimination of uric acid in the blood from the body.
About living regime
When there is an increase in the concentration of uric acid in the blood, the patient should:
- Practice a foot bath before bed to increase blood circulation, prevent gout pain or insomnia pain.
- Should sleep early, exercise regularly and gently to keep the joints healthy, prevent inflammation and joint pain
- Absolutely do not exercise when pain occurs or exercise sports with high intensity.
In summary, with the question of dangerously high uric acid in the blood, the answer is yes. This condition not only makes the body uncomfortable but also causes potential dangers, affecting the health of the patient. Increased levels of uric acid in the blood may or may not be symptomatic, so you should develop a scientific diet, when your body has abnormal signs, you should see them for treatment.
