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Uric Acid

Kidney Function

Serum urateSerum uric acidSUAUrate

Review status

Currently under review

Pending specialist review and validation.

What it shows

Uric acid is a natural waste product formed when your body breaks down purines, which come from your own cells and from foods like meats and some seafood. Your kidneys filter uric acid from the blood and most of it leaves the body in urine.

This test measures uric acid in blood or urine. Laboratories may report it as a blood concentration, a urine value adjusted to creatinine, or as a total amount collected over a day. Your clinician uses the specific format that best fits your situation.

Why it matters

Uric acid levels can help explain joint pain and swelling caused by crystals that form in and around joints, a condition known as gout. The test also helps assess the risk of kidney stones that contain uric acid and can give clues about how well your kidneys are clearing this waste.

Healthcare teams may order this test if you have symptoms of gout, a history of stones, chronic kidney disease, or if you are starting medicines or treatments that raise cell turnover. It is also useful for monitoring therapies that lower uric acid and for tailoring diet and medication plans.

Understanding your results

Your report will show whether your value falls within the laboratory’s reference interval for your age and sex, and for the specimen type tested. A higher blood level can result from decreased kidney clearance, increased production from cell breakdown, certain foods or alcohol, dehydration, or some medicines. A lower level can be related to medications that reduce uric acid, changes in kidney handling, or uncommon inherited conditions.

If a urine test was performed, results help determine how much uric acid your body excretes. This can guide choices between medicines that lower production and those that increase excretion, and can inform stone prevention strategies. If your result is outside the reference interval, your clinician may repeat testing, review your medications and diet, check kidney function, or adjust treatment. Do not change medicines without medical advice.

Reference ranges

180 – 761 umol/L
Female
0 days – 15 days
180 – 761 umol/L
Male
0 days – 15 days
0 – 2900 umol/mmol Creat
All sexes
0 days – 3 months
1.5 – 4.4 mmol/d
All sexes
0 days – 150 years
111 – 389 umol/L
Female
15 days – 1 year
111 – 389 umol/L
Male
15 days – 1 year
0 – 2500 umol/mmol Creat
All sexes
3 months – 2 years
123 – 302 umol/L
Female
1 year – 12 years
123 – 302 umol/L
Male
1 year – 12 years
0 – 1900 umol/mmol Creat
All sexes
2 years – 4 years
0 – 1600 umol/mmol Creat
All sexes
4 years – 6 years
0 – 1300 umol/mmol Creat
All sexes
6 years – 8 years
0 – 1400 umol/mmol Creat
All sexes
8 years – 10 years
0 – 1000 umol/mmol Creat
All sexes
10 years – 12 years
0 – 800 umol/mmol Creat
All sexes
12 years – 14 years
169 – 361 umol/L
Female
12 years – 18 years
172 – 464 umol/L
Male
12 years – 18 years
0 – 600 umol/mmol Creat
All sexes
14 years – 150 years
147 – 353 umol/L
Female
18 years – 150 years
150 – 470 umol/L
Male
18 years – 150 years

Reference intervals vary by laboratory, analyzer, methodology, population, and units. The ranges shown here are for education only. Always interpret your results against the reference interval printed on your own lab report.

Factors that could impact Uric Acid

  • Diet and alcohol

    Large servings of red meat, organ meats, certain seafood, and binge drinking can raise uric acid for hours to days. Hydration and moderation help stabilize results.

  • Medications

    Diuretics, low‑dose aspirin, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, niacin, and some tuberculosis drugs can raise levels. Allopurinol, febuxostat, and uricosurics can lower them.

  • Kidney function and hydration

    Reduced kidney filtration or dehydration lowers uric acid clearance and can increase blood values. Rehydration and treating kidney issues can normalize results.

  • Recent illness or cell turnover

    Fever, vigorous exercise, psoriasis, hemolysis, or chemotherapy increase cell breakdown and production of uric acid, which can elevate test results.

  • Specimen collection quality

    Incomplete 24‑hour urine collections or timing errors can misrepresent excretion. Follow collection instructions carefully and note any missed samples.

  • Age, sex, and hormones

    Levels vary with age and are generally lower before puberty and in many premenopausal women. Pregnancy and hormonal changes can also influence values.

2026

References

  1. McGill University Health Centre. (2015, July 02). Uric Acid (Task CD 317798). Laboratory reference ranges.
  2. McGill University Health Centre. (2016, April 14). Uric Acid (Task CD 1025504). Laboratory reference ranges.
  3. McGill University Health Centre. (2017, May 05). Uric Acid (Task CD 317734). Laboratory reference ranges.
  4. FitzGerald, J. D., Dalbeth, N., Mikuls, T., Brignardello-Petersen, R., Guyatt, G., Abeles, A. M., ... Khanna, D. (2020). 2020 American College of Rheumatology guideline for the management of gout. Arthritis Care & Research, 72(6), 744–760. External link