Uric Acid

Urine
Optimal Result: 0 - 1.2 Ratio.

Uric acid is one of the parameters measured in a Stone Risk Profile urine test, which is conducted to assess an individual's risk of developing kidney stones. Uric acid is a waste product produced when the body metabolizes purines, which are compounds found in certain foods and are also naturally occurring in the body.

In the context of a Stone Risk Profile, the measurement of uric acid is significant because:

  1. Uric Acid Stones: High levels of uric acid in the urine can increase the risk of forming uric acid kidney stones. Uric acid stones are one of the types of kidney stones and are formed when there is an excess of uric acid in the urine. These stones can be quite painful and require specific management strategies.

  2. Acidic Urine: Uric acid stones tend to form more readily in acidic urine. Therefore, measuring uric acid levels can also provide information about the pH (acidity) of the urine. If urine is consistently acidic, it may increase the likelihood of uric acid stone formation.

  3. Diet and Lifestyle: Uric acid levels can be influenced by diet and lifestyle factors. Consuming foods high in purines, such as certain meats and seafood, can increase uric acid levels. Additionally, dehydration can lead to more concentrated urine, potentially increasing uric acid levels and the risk of stone formation.

  4. Medical Conditions: Elevated uric acid levels in the urine can also be associated with medical conditions like gout, a type of arthritis caused by the buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints.

What are the symptoms of uric acid stones?

A stone that is small enough can pass through with no symptoms. However, a stone that is too large to pass through may cause significant pain, back-up of urine, infection and other health problems. Speak with a healthcare professional if you feel any of these symptoms:

- Severe pain on either side of your lower back

- Vague flank pain or stomach ache that doesn’t go away

- Blood in the urine

- Nausea or vomiting

- Fever and chills

- Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy

What causes uric acid stones?

Foods such as beef, poultry, pork, fish, and particularly organ meats such as liver, have high amounts of a natural chemical compound known as purines. Uric acid can result from a diet high in purines. High purine intake leads to a higher production of monosodium urate, which, under the right conditions, may form uric acid stones in the kidneys. Uric acid stones form when the levels of uric acid in the urine are too high, and/or the urine is too acidic on a regular basis.

The formation of these types of stones can run in families. Inherited problems in how the body processes uric acid or protein in the diet can increase the acid in urine. This can be seen in conditions such as gout, a condition where people can have high levels of uric acid in the blood and painful deposits of crystals in the joints. There is also an increased risk of uric acid stones in people with diabetes. Patients receiving chemotherapy are also at risk of having uric acid stones.

How to prevent uric acid stones?

 

It is important to stay well-hydrated for overall health and to prevent kidney stones. Urine should ideally appear light yellow to clear if you are well-hydrated, and it is recommended to make at least two liters of urine per day through fluid intake. However, those with advanced kidney disease may have fluid restrictions.

Maintaining a healthy weight, managing blood pressure, and controlling salt intake are crucial for preventing kidney stones. Seeking the guidance of a dietitian for weight management and adopting a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products, while limiting high-purine foods, sugar-sweetened items, and alcohol, can help prevent uric acid stones.

For individuals with low urine citrate or low urine pH, citrate supplementation may be prescribed to prevent certain types of stones. It is important to consult a healthcare professional to determine the most suitable treatment options, as these recommendations may vary depending on the specific type of kidney stones and individual health conditions, especially for those with kidney disease.

---------------------

In a Stone Risk Profile urine test, uric acid levels are evaluated alongside other parameters, such as calcium, oxalate, citric acid, and creatinine, to provide a comprehensive assessment of an individual's risk factors for kidney stone formation. Based on the results, healthcare providers can offer tailored recommendations for dietary and lifestyle modifications to reduce the risk of kidney stones, especially uric acid stones, if the risk is identified.

If uric acid levels are found to be high and there is a history of kidney stones or symptoms of gout, further evaluation and management may be necessary to address the underlying causes and reduce the risk of stone formation.

What does it mean if your Uric Acid result is too high?

A high level of uric acid in a Stone Risk Profile urine test can have several implications, particularly in the context of kidney stone formation. Here's what a high uric acid level may signify:

  1. Increased Risk of Uric Acid Stones: A high uric acid level in the urine is a strong indicator of an increased risk of developing uric acid kidney stones. Uric acid stones form when there is an excess of uric acid in the urine, leading to the crystallization and precipitation of uric acid crystals in the kidneys or urinary tract. These stones can be quite painful and require specific management strategies.

  2. Acidic Urine: Uric acid stones tend to form more readily in acidic urine. Therefore, a high uric acid level in the urine may also indicate that the urine is consistently acidic, which can contribute to the formation of uric acid stones.

  3. Dietary and Lifestyle Factors: High uric acid levels can be influenced by dietary and lifestyle factors. Consumption of foods high in purines, such as certain meats and seafood, can increase uric acid levels. Additionally, dehydration can lead to more concentrated urine and higher uric acid levels, increasing the risk of stone formation.

  4. Medical Conditions: Elevated uric acid levels in the urine can also be associated with medical conditions, such as gout, which is characterized by the buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints. Gout is often linked to high uric acid levels in the blood, but it can also affect urine composition.

  5. Medications: Some medications can affect uric acid levels in the urine. If you are taking medications that influence uric acid metabolism, it's essential to consider these factors when interpreting the results of a Stone Risk Profile.

Potential treatment for uric acid stones:

At first, drinking more water may be recommended. Medications can also be used either for pain or to help the stone pass.

Medications can include allopurinol to reduce uric acid levels in the blood. Other medicines can include citrate to make urine less acidic (or more alkaline). Other medications can include thiazide diuretics (water pills) or tamsulosin (to relax the ureter and help the stone pass).

If these treatments do not work, or if the stone is too large to pass through, then surgical procedures may be needed to break down larger stones or remove them. A ureteroscopy uses a small scope to remove the stone. Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) uses high-energy acoustic pulses to break up the stone into smaller pieces for passing. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) removes the stone surgically through the back.

If your Stone Risk Profile indicates a high uric acid level, it's important to discuss the findings with a healthcare provider. They can provide further evaluation, determine the underlying causes, and offer guidance on dietary and lifestyle modifications to reduce the risk of kidney stones, especially uric acid stones. Depending on your specific situation, your healthcare provider may recommend medications or other interventions to manage uric acid levels and prevent stone formation.

Frequently asked questions

Unlock Your Health Journey with Healthmatters.io! Ever wished for a one-stop digital health haven for all your lab tests? Look no further! Healthmatters.io is your personalized health dashboard, bringing together test reports from any lab. Say goodbye to scattered results—organize and centralize your lab data effortlessly. Dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data.

Join the community of thousands who've transformed the way they understand their lab results. Experience the joy of having all your lab data neatly organized, regardless of where or when the tests were done.

For our professional users, Healthmatters.io is a game-changer. Revel in the intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history. It's not just a dashboard; it's your gateway to a smarter, more informed health journey!

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

While we do talk about popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too. It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters. We can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.

Still on the hunt for a specific biomarker? Just tell us, and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account!

There are two ways to add your test reports to your healthmatters.io account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."

Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.

For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you. We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.

Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.

Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.

For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.

Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.

Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.

The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.

For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.

Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.

You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.

Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.

Unlocking the insights from your lab tests has never been this intuitive! We've crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into a treasure trove of testing data.

1. Graph View:

Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.

2. All Tests View

Get a quick grasp of your test reports in minutes! Explore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.

3. Table View:

For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.

Experience the power of clear, organized data visualization with Healthmatters.io — your key to understanding and taking charge of your health journey!

Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.

Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.

A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.

The professional or business account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.


We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.