High Uric Acid: It's Not Just About Gout

Many patients only check their uric acid level when one thing happens - they run to the doctor with complaint of "Doc, my feet are swelling and hurts like hell!". I know what you are thinking, and yes, it is true that gout is one of the most well-known effect of high uric acid. But here's what most people don't know: a high uric acid had already affected you blood pressure, kidney and heart even before joint pain has surfaced. Now that is what we will be tackling in today's article.

Doc Damian, what is uric acid? Why does it even exist in our body? Well, uric acid is a waste product of the body after breaking down a substance called purine. Purines are predominantly found in red meats, organ meats, seafood (especially shellfish), alcohol, and sugary drinks. Normally, uric acid is eliminated in the kidneys through our urine but levels elevate whenever our body produces too much uric acid or our kidneys cannot keep up with eliminating it.

Most people associated high uric acid with gout attacks - that sudden and severe joint pain that usually affect the big toe. But research show that high uric acid is also associated with: High blood pressure - yes, you heard that right, elevated uric acid is also a risk factor in developing hypertension. These studies suggest that high uric acid impairs blood vessel function, activate inflammation and contribute to arterial stiffness. According to research published in Hypertension (Feig et al., 2008), elevated uric acid levels are strongly associated with the development of hypertension, especially in younger patients.

Already shocked that high uric acid can be a reason for a person's high blood pressure? That's not all, hyperuricemia (high uric acid) is also responsible for plenty of patients that developed chronic kidney disease. Remember what I mentioned earlier, that the kidneys are responsible for eliminating uric acid. However, very high uric acid can develop kidney stones, contributes to kidney inflammation and also accelerate kidney damage. A study in Kidney International (Johnson et al., 2013) suggests hyperuricemia may play a role in the progression of chronic kidney disease.

The main problem with elevated high uric acid is that it is silent. Initially, it doesn't present with any sign or symptoms - you may feel completely fine until it damages an associated organ. That is why blood chemistry testing is important, so we can check for elevated uric acid, and treat it immediately before complications arise.

As an Internal Medicine Doctor, I always tell my patients, don't think that we are only treating the numbers and that these numbers constitute to a disease. We are giving you medications so that we prevent further complications - we remove the risks. Treating high uric acid does not only remove the risk of developing gout attacks, it also prevents high blood pressure and ensures the kidneys are perfectly fine.

If it has been more than a year since your last blood test, it may be time to reassess.

A simple laboratory test today can prevent years of complications tomorrow.

Schedule your consultation with your friendly internal medicine doctor, and that is me Doc Damian! :)