Gout Information

How is uric acid (urate) produced in the body?

Many of the foods we eat contain chemicals called purines. Purines are nucleotides - that is, they are the basic molecular building blocks of DNA. Along with other nucleotides, purines are sources of energy that drive most of our bodily processes. After digestion, some purines are absorbed by the intestinal mucosa into nucleic acids. The others are rapidly degraded into uric acid. It is when the ability of the kidneys to eliminate uric acid (via the urine) is compromised that raised levels of uric acid occur - a condition known as hyperuricemia. 'Hyper' means increased, 'uric' refers to uric acid and 'emia' (sometimes spelt aemia) means blood. Thus hyperuricemia means raised levels of uric acid in the blood.

Raised levels of uric acid can be caused:

when less uric acid is removed (via the kidneys) from the body than usual;
when more is produced (by the liver) than normal;
when both of the above occur.

Hyperuricemia

In testing for gout, the concentration of uric acid in the blood serum is measured and is a reflection of levels throughout the body. The recommended range of uric acid levels is less than 6 mg per 100 ml; the range of