Uric acid is a waste product that your body breaks down from some foods and drinks. Normally, your body breaks down uric acid in your blood before you excrete it through urination. It does not have a purpose or function and can become toxic. Your health care provider can check your uric acid levels by collecting a blood or urine sample and sending the sample to a laboratory for testing.
Uric Acid
Uric acid is formed as a mere waste in your blood after your body breaks down a substance in food, called purines, during the digestion process. Uric acid is produced when you eat foods that are high in purines such as peas, mackerel, liver and anchovies. Certain drinks, such as beer and wine, are also high in purines. Sometimes your body cannot break down uric acid, especially when you've consumed a large amount of food or drinks high in purines.
Excess Uric Acid
When your body does not adequately remove uric acid from your blood, levels can become quite high. High levels of uric acid are known as hyperuricemia. These high levels will not necessarily cause complications or other problems, but they can. High uric acid levels can lead to conditions such as gout, kidney stones or even kidney failure. High uric acid levels may also appear prior to the development of other health risks and complications such as heart disease, chronic renal disease or hypertension. MayoClinic.come states that it's still unclear as to whether or not high uric acid levels actually cause these conditions or if they're a mere warning sign.
Gout
Gout is a form of arthritis that affects approximately 1 in 100 people, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Typically, gout occurs in those who suffer from prolonged periods of abnormally high levels of uric acid in their systems or have chronic hyperuricemia. Gout is more common in developed countries, such as the United States, than it is in underdeveloped countries due to diet and medications that raise uric acid levels.
Kidney Stones and Renal Disease
High levels of uric acid can cause kidney stones and lead to chronic renal disease. If you suffer from kidney stones, your health care provider may ask you to collect urine in a sterile container for a 24-hour period to test for high levels of calcium, uric acid or phosphorus. According to the National Kidney Foundation, kidney stones from high uric acid levels are probably caused by a high-protein diet. Chronic kidney disease may also arise from high levels of uric acid. This is usually brought on because your kidneys filter uric acid and high levels for a prolonged period of time can cause your kidneys to fail.
