Blood and lab tests
What Is Uric Acid? Blood Test Results Explained
Uric Acid · say it: YOOR-ik AS-idAlso written: urate, serum urate, serum uric acid
Short answer
Uric acid is a waste product made when the body breaks down purines; high levels can lead to gout and some kidney stones.
What it means
Uric acid is made when the body breaks down substances called purines, found in the body's own cells and in some foods and drinks. Most of it passes out through the kidneys in urine. A blood test measures how much is in the blood, and your report prints its own reference range.
Uric acid appears on labels and reports because high levels can form crystals in joints (gout) or kidney stones. Some medicines, such as certain diuretics, can raise it, while urate-lowering medicines are prescribed to bring it down. During gout treatment, doctors often aim for a target level and recheck it with blood tests.
A high uric acid level (hyperuricemia) does not always cause gout, and a level can sometimes look normal during a gout attack. Doctors look at symptoms and, at times, joint fluid tests, not just the number.
Where you may see it
- Blood test reports, as 'Uric acid' or 'Urate'
- Gout medicine labels and clinic letters
- Diuretic labels under 'Laboratory changes'
📄 How it looks on a report
Serum uric acid: High (H) - outside reference range.
🙅 What it does not mean
- A high uric acid result does not mean you have gout; many people with high levels never get it.
- A normal level during a painful joint attack does not rule out gout.
- Diet affects uric acid, but genes, kidney function and medicines often matter more.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
🧾 Reports where you will see “Uric Acid”
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💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Uric Acid”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Allopurinol
a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, a prescription medicine that acts on uric acid
- Ampicillin Sodium
a penicillin-type antibacterial medicine
- Furosemide
A loop diuretic, a type of medicine that helps the body get rid of extra fluid through urine
- Hydrochlorothiazide
A thiazide diuretic, a type of medicine often called a 'water pill'
- Spironolactone
An aldosterone antagonist, a type of prescription medicine the FDA classifies this way
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Uric Acid” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “uric acid”
- MedlinePlus lab test guides ↗
US National Library of Medicine
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