A Uric Acid test measures the amount of uric acid in your body, usually in a blood test (serum uric acid) and sometimes in a urine test (urine uric acid). Uric acid is a natural waste product formed when your body breaks down purines—substances found in many foods (such as red meat, organ meats, and some seafood) and also made by your body. Normally, uric acid dissolves in the blood, travels to the kidneys, and leaves the body in urine.

Results help your clinician understand whether your uric acid levels are within a typical range or are higher or lower than expected. High uric acid (hyperuricemia) can happen when your body makes too much uric acid, when your kidneys don’t remove enough, or both. Persistently high levels can lead to uric acid crystals that may collect in joints (triggering gout and joint pain) or in the urinary tract (contributing to kidney stones). Low uric acid is less common and may be linked to certain medications or medical conditions affecting kidney handling of uric acid. Your provider interprets results alongside symptoms, kidney function tests, diet, medicines, and overall renal health.

Your healthcare provider may order a uric acid blood test or urine test when you have symptoms or risk factors related to gout, kidney stones, or possible metabolism disorders involving purines. It may also be used to monitor response to treatment in people already diagnosed with gout or recurrent stones.

Common reasons for testing include:

Possible gout or inflammatory arthritis: sudden severe joint pain (often in the big toe), redness, warmth, swelling, tenderness, or attacks that come and go. While a blood uric acid level alone does not confirm gout, it helps assess risk and supports the overall evaluation.

Kidney stone symptoms: sharp pain in the side/back or groin, blood in the urine, frequent urination, nausea/vomiting, or burning with urination—especially if uric acid stones are suspected.

Evaluation of kidney health: decreased kidney function can raise uric acid because the kidneys clear it from the body. If you have chronic kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or dehydration, testing may help assess uric acid handling and overall renal health.

Medication monitoring: some medicines can increase uric acid (for example, certain diuretics “water pills,” low-dose aspirin, and some immunosuppressants). Uric acid testing may be used to check for medication-related hyperuricemia.

Metabolic and lifestyle risk factors: obesity, high alcohol intake (especially beer/spirits), high-purine diet, high-fructose beverages, or a strong family history of gout or kidney stones may prompt testing.

Urine uric acid testing (often collected over 24 hours) may be ordered to help determine whether you produce too much uric acid or excrete too little—useful for evaluating recurrent kidney stones and tailoring prevention strategies.

• Gout (acute gout flares and chronic gout)
• Hyperuricemia (elevated uric acid levels)
• Uric acid kidney stones (urolithiasis)
• Chronic kidney disease (reduced uric acid clearance)
• Acute kidney injury or dehydration-related reduced kidney filtration
• Purine metabolism disorders (rare inherited disorders affecting purine breakdown)
• Tumor lysis syndrome (rapid cell breakdown after cancer treatment, causing very high uric acid)
• Psoriatic disease and other conditions associated with increased uric acid production (in some patients)

• Preventing gout flares by monitoring uric acid levels and treatment response
• Reducing risk of kidney stones and guiding stone-prevention plans (diet, hydration, medications)
• Supporting renal health monitoring, especially if you have chronic kidney disease or reduced kidney function
• Evaluating the impact of diet changes (lower-purine eating patterns, reduced alcohol, less sugary drinks)
• Medication safety and optimization (checking whether diuretics or other drugs are affecting uric acid)
• Metabolic health tracking in people with obesity, insulin resistance, or other risk factors linked with hyperuricemia