Platform
Company
Kidney Function
Review status
Currently under review
Pending specialist review and validation.
This test measures the total amount of uric acid your kidneys excrete into urine over a 24-hour period. Uric acid is a waste product formed when your body breaks down purines, which come from your own cells and from certain foods and drinks.
Collecting all urine for a full day provides a more complete picture than a single sample. It helps your clinician see how your body produces and clears uric acid and how well your kidneys handle it.
A 24-hour urine uric acid test helps evaluate the risk of kidney stones, especially stones made of uric acid, and can clarify why uric acid may be high in the blood in people with gout. Results can distinguish between overproduction and underexcretion patterns, which can guide diet changes, hydration targets, and choice or dosing of medicines that lower uric acid.
Your clinician may order this test if you have had a kidney stone, have recurrent stones, have gout or tophi, or have conditions or treatments that change how your body turns over cells. It may also be used to monitor response to therapies that affect uric acid handling.
Higher than expected urinary uric acid suggests that your kidneys are excreting more uric acid, which can increase the chance of uric acid stone formation and may reflect high purine intake, increased cell turnover, or medication effects. Lower than expected urinary uric acid suggests reduced excretion, which is a common contributor to elevated uric acid in the blood and gout. Your healthcare provider will interpret your result along with your diet, medications, kidney function, and stone history.
Because this test relies on a complete day of collection, missing samples or spills can make results misleading. If there is concern about the collection, a repeat test may be recommended. Depending on the pattern, your plan may include changes in hydration, diet, urine alkalinization, or medications, and sometimes additional tests to assess overall kidney stone risk.
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.
Missing any urine during the collection window or spilling the container can falsely lower the measured amount. Carefully follow timing and storage instructions and return the full volume to the lab.
Large intakes of purine-rich foods, sugar-sweetened beverages with fructose, or alcohol can raise uric acid production and increase urinary excretion. Your clinician may suggest diet adjustments before or after testing.
Low fluid intake concentrates urine and can promote stone risk, while higher intake dilutes urine. Although dilution does not change the total daily amount, it affects stone formation risk and may influence clinical interpretation.
Diuretics, low-dose aspirin, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, and niacin can reduce uric acid excretion, while uricosurics (such as probenecid) and losartan can increase it. Allopurinol and febuxostat reduce uric acid production. Tell your clinician about all medicines and supplements.
Reduced kidney function can lower uric acid excretion. Urine acidity affects uric acid solubility and stone risk, which your clinician considers alongside the daily uric acid amount.
Conditions with rapid cell breakdown, such as certain blood disorders, infections, or chemotherapy, can increase uric acid production and raise urinary excretion.
Pregnancy, childhood, and advanced age can change uric acid handling. Your clinician will interpret results in the context of age and physiologic state.
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