Hyperuricemia is an excess of uric acid in the blood. Most of the time, a high uric acid level occurs when your kidneys don’t eliminate uric acid efficiently. Things that may cause this slow-down in the removal of uric acid include rich foods, being overweight, having diabetes, taking certain diuretics (sometimes called water pills) and drinking too much alcohol. Other less common causes are a diet high in purine-containing items or your body producing too much uric acid. Normal Uric acid levels are 2.4-6.0 mg/dL (female) and 3.4-7.0 mg/dL (male).
Causes of High Uric Acide Level
- Primary hyperuricemia
1. Increased production of uric acid from purine
2. Your kidneys cannot get rid of the uric acid in your blood, resulting in high levels - Secondary hyperuricemia
1. Certain cancers, or chemotherapy agents may cause an increased turnover rate of cell death. This is usually due to chemotherapy, but high uric acid levels can occur before chemotherapy is administered.
2. After chemotherapy, there is often a rapid amount of cellular destruction, and tumor lysis syndrome may occur. You may be at risk for tumor lysis syndrome if you receive chemotherapy for certain types of leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma, if there is a large amount of disease present.
3. Kidney disease – this may cause you to not be able to clear the uric acid out of your system, thus causing hyperuricemia.
4. Medications – can cause increased levels of uric acid in the blood
5. Endocrine or metabolic conditions -certain forms of diabetes, or acidosis can cause hyperuricemia
6. Elevated uric acid levels may produce kidney problems, or none at all. People may live many years with elevated uric acid levels, and they do not develop gout or gouty arthritis (arthritis means “joint inflammation”). Only about 20% of people with elevated uric acid levels ever develop gout, and some people with gout do not have significantly elevated uric acid levels in their blood.
Symptoms of Hyperuricemia:
- You may not have any symptoms.
- If your blood uric acid levels are significantly elevated, and you are undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia or lymphoma, you may have symptoms kidney problems, or gouty arthritis from high uric acid levels in your blood.
- You may have fever, chills, fatigue if you have certain forms of cancer, and your uric acid levels are elevated (caused by tumor lysis syndrome)
- You may notice an inflammation of a joint (called “gout”), if the uric acid crystals deposit in one of your joints. (*Note- gout may occur with normal uric acid levels, too).
- You may have kidney problems (caused by formation of kidney stones), or problems with urination
Hyperuricemia Diet
Certain dietary changes may help decrease the level of uric acid in your blood along with our URI Control. If your hyperuricemia is tied to gout, dietary changes may lower your risk of gout attack and slow the progression of any joint damage.
What to avoid
- red meats
- sugary foods and beverages, especially if they contain high-fructose corn syrup organ meat, such as liver
- meat gravies
- some seafood, such as anchovies, sardines, scallops, and mussels
- fish, such as tuna, cod, herring, and haddock
- spinach, peas, and mushrooms
- beans and lentils
- oatmeal
- wheat germ and bran
- beer and alcoholic beverages
- yeast supplements
