What Are the Dangers of Too Much Uric Acid in the Body?

Uric acid is created in the body when purines break down. Purines are natural compounds found in all cells, as well as in most foods. Foods that are particularly high in purines include liver, the yeast from beer and alcohol, and some vegetables, including asparagus, spinach and beans. If you have high uric-acid levels, avoid purine-rich foods and familiarize yourself with health conditions that may result from too much uric acid in the body.

Normal Levels

• Normal levels of uric acid range from 2.4 to 6.0mg/dl for females and 3.4 to 7.0mg/dl for males. Amounts over these norms are possible signs of problems in the body, and your physician will advise you about steps to take if tests show high uric-acid levels.

Hyperuricemia

• High levels of uric acid result in hyperuricemia, the result of excessive uric acid in the body that is not removed efficiently from the kidneys through urine.

Kidney Stones

• When your kidneys cannot filter uric acid out of the body through the urine, tiny crystals can form, known as kidney stones. Long-term complications of these painful deposits can include loss of kidney function, scarring, recurrence of kidney stones and urinary-tract infections.

Gout

• Gout forms when crystals resulting from too much uric acid start to build up in the fluid around the joints. Pain and inflammation usually accompanies this condition.

Cancer and Chemotherapy

• Certain types of cancer or chemotherapy can raise levels of uric acid in the blood, leading to other health problems. This elevated uric acid is usually caused by rapid cell destruction from the cancer itself or the chemotherapy agents.