What is high uric acid? What medicine should I take

High uric acid may be caused by abnormal purine metabolism, high purine diet, renal dysfunction, genetic factors, drug effects, etc. It can be controlled by drugs such as allopurinol, febuxostat, and benzbromarone. Elevated uric acid levels are usually associated with lifestyle and underlying diseases, and treatment plans need to be adjusted based on specific causes.

1. Abnormal purine metabolism:

Disruption of purine metabolism in the body can lead to excessive production of uric acid. When the activity of xanthine oxidase is enhanced, the rate of conversion of hypoxanthine to uric acid accelerates. This condition is common in patients with congenital enzyme defects or metabolic syndrome, and may be accompanied by symptoms such as joint redness and swelling, gouty tophi formation, etc. Treatment requires inhibition of uric acid synthesis, and drugs such as allopurinol are commonly used.

2. High purine diet:

Long term intake of high purine foods such as animal organs, seafood, and concentrated meat soup can increase the source of exogenous uric acid. After the breakdown of nuclear proteins in this type of food, a large amount of purine bases are produced, which are metabolized by the liver to form uric acid. Patients often have obesity or abnormal blood lipids, and adjusting their diet can significantly reduce uric acid levels.

3. Abnormal renal function: When the renal excretion function decreases, the decrease in uric acid filtration can lead to the accumulation of blood uric acid. Chronic kidney disease, hypertensive kidney disease and other diseases will affect the secretion of uric acid by renal tubules, which may be accompanied by foam urine, nocturia and other symptoms. Medications such as benzbromarone that promote uric acid excretion can improve this situation.

4. Genetic factors:

Some populations have congenital mutations in the uric acid transporter gene, leading to increased reabsorption of uric acid by renal tubules. These patients often have a family history of gout and can develop hyperuricemia during adolescence. New uric acid lowering drugs such as febuxostat have better effects on hereditary hyperuricemia.

5. Drug effects:

Diuretics, immunosuppressants, and other drugs can interfere with uric acid excretion. Thiazide diuretics competitively inhibit uric acid secretion channels, while drugs such as cyclosporine alter renal hemodynamics. In such cases, it is necessary to evaluate the necessity of using medication for the primary disease and replace it with medication that has less impact on uric acid if necessary. Patients with high uric acid levels should control their daily purine intake to below 150 milligrams and avoid drinking alcohol and sugary drinks. It is recommended to choose low-fat dairy products, fresh vegetables and other alkaline foods, and drink at least 2000 milliliters of water per day to promote uric acid excretion. Moderate aerobic exercise such as swimming and cycling should be performed, but joint immobilization should be applied during acute gout attacks. Regular monitoring of blood uric acid levels and controlling the value below 360 μ mol/L can effectively prevent complications. Patients with hypertension or diabetes need to control basic diseases simultaneously and avoid using drugs that increase uric acid.