Uric Acid

Urine
check icon 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.

All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.

Laboratories

Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place

We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.

lab corp logo
genova diagnostics logo
quest diagnostics logo
dutch test logo
doctors data logo
vibrant america logo
diagnostic solutions logo
zrt laboratory logo
the great plains laboratory logo
cyrex laboratories logo
spectracell logo

Pricing Table

decoration

Personal plans

$15/ month

Complete Plan

Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Begin with first report entered
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

$250/ once

Unlimited Account

Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Receive 10 reports entered for you
  • Skip the $15/month subscription — no recurring payments ever

$45/ month

Pro Monthly

Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track lab results for multiple clients
  • Customize reference ranges per client
  • Export lab histories and reports
  • Begin with first report entered by us
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

About membership

What's included in a Healthmatters membership

microscope icon Import Lab Results from Any Source

person icon See Your Health Timeline

book icon Understand What Your Results Mean

textbook icon

textbook icon Visualize Your Results

folder icon

folder icon

card icon Securely Share With Anyone You Trust

Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story

What Healthmatters Members Are Saying

5 stars rating

I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with  any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.

Anthony

Unlimited Plan Member since 2021

5 stars rating

What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!

Karin

Advanced Plan Member since 2020

5 stars rating

As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!

Paul

Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.

  • Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
  • Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.

With a Healthmatters account, you can:

  • Upload lab reports from any lab
  • View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
  • Track trends and monitor changes over time
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export and share your full lab history
  • Access your results anytime, from any device

Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.

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.

shield icon

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.

gdpr compliance image hipaa compliance image