High levels of blood uric acid may occur during the course of various diseases. For example, if kidneys are damaged even due to some other cause, say as a result of chronic infection or prolonged high blood pressure, or in acute cases, like acute nephritis, blood uric acid levels will rise, because the kidneys will not be able to maintain the normal levels of blood uric acid. And, in such cases, both kidneys and high blood uric acid require equal attention.



In some other diseases also, e.g. when a person is suffering from leukaemia, malignant tumours, polycythaemia, psoriasis, cyanotic congenital heart diseases, pernicious and haemolytic anaemias, during the administration of anticancer drugs, blood uric acid is likely to get raised as a result of excessive tissue breakdown. Again in such cases, care of both the primary disease and high level of blood uric acid is required so as to save the patient from additional complications due to high blood uric acid.

Besides the above, blood uric acid can also rise in other diseases which may be listed as: myxoedema, hypoparathyroidism and hyperparathyroidism, acromegaly, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. Hence, in such disorders also, blood uric acid is required to be measured. If found elevated, it should be treated simultaneously. Further, starvation and prolonged exercise may raise levels of blood uric acid. Even some drugs, especially aspirin, if taken more than 2 g/ day, may lead to a rise in blood uric acid levels. Some antihypertensive drugs, specially chlorthiazide, may even enhance it.

How to control high blood uric acid?

Patients are recommended to take mostly vegetarian food and refrain from non-vegetarian diet, because nuclear/cell protein of non-vegetarian food add to the uric acid in the blood. Since caffeine is also responsible for high levels of uric acid, therefore, patients are advised to take a minimum quantity, or no tea, coffee, cocoa, etc. Due to the same reason, alcohol, beer and wine should also be avoided.

The patient should take a lot of water so that high levels of uric acid in the blood are washed out by the kidneys.

In short, all cases of high blood uric acid should stick to a vegetarian diet with an ample quantity of water, no alcoholic beverages, and a minimum intake of tea and coffee, if, at all these are taken.

In case the high levels of uric acid are not controlled by the above-mentioned dietary measures, only then should the patient be put on drugs.

In case some underlying diseases/drugs have been detected as responsible for raising levels of blood uric acid in the blood, both the underlying disease and the drug should be watched. The drug responsible for high levels of uric acid should be discontinued.

Ultimately, it needs to be emphasized again that the early detection and treatment of high blood uric acid goes a long way in warding off the serious complications resulting from high levels of uric acid, especially coronary artery disease and stroke, which are fatal in nature.