Uric Acid in Urine

Results

The uric acid urine test measures the amount of uric acid in a sample of urine collected over 24 hours.

Normal values for urine uric acid may vary from lab to lab. Results are usually available within 1 to 2 days.

Uric acid in urine

Men:	250–800 milligrams (mg) per 24-hour urine sample	1.5–4.8 micromoles (mcmol) per 24-hour urine sample
Women:	250-750 mg per 24-hour urine sample	1.5–4.5 mcmol per 24-hour urine sample

 

Many conditions can change uric acid levels. Your doctor will talk with you about any abnormal results that may be related to your symptoms and medical history.

High values

High uric acid levels may be caused by:

• Individual differences in the way your body produces or gets rid of uric acid.
• Conditions, such as:
  • Kidney disease or kidney damage.
  • The increased breakdown of body cells that occurs with some types of cancer (including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma) or cancer treatments, hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia, or heart failure.
  • Other disorders, such as alcohol dependence, preeclampsia, liver disease (cirrhosis), lipid disorders, obesity, psoriasis, hypothyroidism, and low blood levels of parathyroid hormone.
  • Starvation, malnutrition, or lead poisoning.
  • A rare inherited gene disorder called Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.
• Medicines, such as some diuretics, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), lower doses of aspirin (75 to 80 mg aspirin daily), niacin, and some medicines used to treat leukemia, lymphoma, or tuberculosis.
• Eating foods that are very high in purines, such as organ meats (liver, brains), red meats (beef, lamb), game meat (deer, elk), some seafood (sardines, herring, scallops), and beer.
• Drinking a lot of alcohol, especially beer.

Low values

Low uric acid levels may be caused by:

• Gout, when uric acid production is normal but uric acid removal by the kidneys is reduced.
• Kidney damage or disease that prevents the kidneys from filtering uric acid out of the blood into the urine.
• Folic acid deficiency or lead poisoning.
• Not eating enough protein.
• Taking too much aspirin.

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Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS	Last Updated: October 31, 2007
Medical Review:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Stanford M. Shoor, MD - Rheumatology
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