Uric acid is the end product of purine degradation. It is catalyzed by the enzyme xanthine oxidase, which is responsible for the production of uric acid and damaging free radicals. This is a central link in the association between serum uric acid and myocardial ischemia, myocardial dysfunction and non-cardial function, which is determined primarily by impaired peripheral blood flow. Inhibition of xanthine oxidase with allopurinol may be used in future treatment of heart patients.

Natural Ways to lower uric acid
Vitamin C may be helpful. See also gout for suggestions on how to lower uric acid levels.
Reduce your intake of sugared drinks. A higher intake of added sugars or sugar-sweetened drinks leads to higher blood levels of uric acid. Guidelines to a healthy diet are provided.

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High blood uric acid, danger and side effects
High uric acid levels in the bloodstream is called hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia is a serum urate concentration above 6.8 mg per deciliter. Too much uric acid may not cause gout symptoms for years, but after a time it can cause painful joint inflammation. The problem is often not with the amount of uric acid produced by the body, but the fact that the body, or more specifically the kidneys, cannot excrete it well. High blood levels of uric acid are significantly associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, also know as hypertension, in blacks, particularly black men.

High blood levels of uric acid are a strong predictor of death from cardiovascular disease, stroke and all causes. Uric acid is a product of the breakdown of nitrogen compounds, and is normally excreted in urine. It has been recognized for decades that uric acid is found at high levels in the joints of people with gout. Uric acid may trigger inflammation and a strong immune response. Arthritis & Rheumatism, February 15, 2009.

Stages of Gout
Asymptomatic hyperuricemia, acute flares, intercritical segments, and advanced gout. For quite a number of years, high uric acid levels deposit uric acid in tissues and during this time there are no gout symptoms. Then, an acute gout attack occurs, followed by periods of remission and more acute gout attacks, eventually leading to advanced gout.

Treatment of Chronic Gout
Drugs are used to help the kidneys excrete more uric acid. These are called uricosuric drugs. These drugs include allopurinol, probenecid, and sulfinpyrazone. Allopurinol blocks the conversion of hypoxanthine to xanthine to uric acid. Allopurinol is appropriate for gout patients who are overproducers of uric acid. Allopurinol is taken once daily. Rare and life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions are possible with allopurinol use. Other agents include uricase enzymes that catabolize uric acid to a more soluble form which is readily excreted by the kidneys. One such drug is Rasburicase which became available in 2002, however serious side effects such as anaphylaxis, hemolysis, and methemoglobinemia can occur.

Uric acid and memory
Older adults with high-normal levels of uric acid are significantly more likely than those with low-moderate concentrations to experience mild cognitive impairment (loss of mental ability or memory).

Uric acid research update
The effects of vitamin C supplementation on serum concentrations of uric acid: results of a randomized controlled trial.
Arthritis Rheum. 2005 Jun;52(6):1843-7. Huang HY, Appel LJ, Choi MJ, Gelber AC, Charleston J, Norkus EP, Miller ER 3rd. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
Reductions in serum uric acid levels are clinically relevant. Previous studies have suggested a uricosuric effect of vitamin C. Whether vitamin C reduces serum uric acid is unknown. We undertook this study to determine the effects of vitamin C supplementation on serum uric acid concentrations. METHODS: The study was a double-blinded placebo-controlled randomized trial conducted in research units affiliated with an academic institution. Study participants were 184 nonsmokers, randomized to take either placebo or vitamin C supplements (500 mg/day) for 2 months. RESULTS: At the end of the study period, serum uric acid levels were significantly reduced in the vitamin C group (mean change -0.5 mg/dl, but not in the placebo group. The same pattern of results was evident in subgroups defined by age, sex, race, body mass index, chronic illness, diuretic use, and quartiles of baseline serum ascorbic acid levels. CONCLUSION: Supplementation with 500 mg/day of vitamin C for 2 months reduces serum uric acid, suggesting that vitamin C might be beneficial in the prevention and management of gout and other urate-related diseases.

Uric Acid Questions
Q. Many thanks to you for such a wonderful website! My uric acid levels are 10.4. Since altering my water intake and nutrition, my acute gout attacks have stopped. I have also been taking cherry extract and C in high dosages. I am looking for the best source of apigenin. Would a parsley extract or chamomile extract be sufficient? My uric acid levels drop to 7ish without drugs.
   A. Congratulations. We suggest a high intake of a variety of vegetables. See the gout link above. We really don't know at this time the best apigenin source, but parsley is easy to consume or a regular basis, and chamomile tea can be drank in the evening.

Q. On a recent test my uric acid is 7.8 mg/dl and ESR result is 13. I'm suffering from big toe joint Inflammation and last 3 months it got swollen almost three times. Dr, Please give uric acid natural remedy advice if its too high and what shall I do to get rid of it.
   A. We have info on uric acid level on this page that you can discuss with your doctor.

Q.  I was on a diet and had just lost 25 pounds when I got a gout attack. What could cause this since losing weight is supposed to help reduce uric acid levels and prevent gout.
   A. Rapid weight loss has the potential to temporarily raise uric acid levels and precipitate a gout attack.

Q. A recent debate on uric acid has developed into a full blown war within the dog (Dalmatian) fancy community. Dalmatians have a fixed gene that causes them to have very high uric acid level which causes a small percentage of them to have urate stones. I read an article about Vitamin C and uric acid. From the information that I have gathered about vitamin C, I concluded that it might be a way to lower uric acid output in a dog. In the recent past, Dalmatian owners have been encouraged not to give vitamin C as it is a precursor to calcium oxalate. However, uric acid stones and calcium oxalate stones are two different types of urinary stones. The full blown war that I referred to above is not a small one. The research that is being done changes the breeds of dogs by genetic manipulation. This is a very well funded research program with no other option to solve the problem. I am looking for an option. I feel the researchers are “missing the boat”. Genetic manipulation is an extreme way to solve our particular problem. Would you know of any reason not to give high doses of vitamin C to a dog over its lifespan?
   A. I have not studied vitamin C and uric acid in dogs so I am not be able to provide an educated answer on this topic.

Q. Result from my Uric acid test is 7.8 MG/DL and ESR is 13. I have big toe inflammation. Please advice me what measures I can take to get rid of my gout problem.
   A. See the link for gout at the top of the page.