High uric acid can "harm" many organs throughout the body!

The 47-year-old Mr. Luo is the owner of a late-night restaurant, and his business is booming, often until 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. before he closes his stall. However, recently, Mr. Luo found himself always feeling physically exhausted, also accompanied by back pain and other problems, even after closing the store to rest for a few days, but no relief, so he went to the hospital for a checkup.

The test results showed proteinuria diathesis and elevated uric acid levels, which the doctor recommended controlling with medication. The company's main goal is to provide a comprehensive range of products and services to meet the needs of its customers.

After about a month of eating this way, Mr. Luo woke up one day and suddenly felt so much pain in his joints that he couldn't stand up, and went to the hospital and was told he had a gout attack.

Mr. Luo was wondering how he could not control his uric acid in the end when he was already afraid to drink alcohol and not to drink meat soup.

According to statistics, about 200 million people in China suffer from hyperuricemia, so what is the relationship between uric acid and gout? What are the effects of elevated uric acid?

Uric acid is a product of human metabolism. The body synthesizes about 700 mg of uric acid every day, about 80% of which is excreted in urine through the kidneys and 20% through the gastrointestinal tract in feces. When uric acid production is excessive or excretion is reduced, it can lead to elevated levels of uric acid in the blood, resulting in hyperuricemia (also known as high uric acid).

When high uric acid is mentioned, everyone associates it with gout. It's true that uric acid is highly associated with gout attacks, but high uric acid does not equal gout.

The body has a carrying capacity for uric acid, and when there is too much uric acid for the container to hold, it overflows, and this overflowing material is called urate crystals. When these crystals "swim" into the joints and surrounding tissues or kidneys, they can lead to gouty arthritis, also known as gout.

In fact, the probability of developing gout is less than a third of people with hyperuricemia.

What causes the rise in uric acid? Increased uric acid production is associated with three main causes.

One is related to increased production of endogenous purines in the body, such as psoriasis, hemolytic diseases, and leukemia; the second is related to increased purines in exogenous foods, such as consumption of animal offal, soy products, seafood, and beer.

Third, it is related to weight changes. Studies have found that blood uric acid level concentrations in the blood are also significantly higher in people who are overweight or obese.

While uric acid is elevated, it can also "harm" other organs in the body -

First, the joints, where gout patients often experience tearing, knife-like pain late at night, often with redness and swelling that can affect walking.

Second, the kidneys. Uric acid is excreted mainly through the kidneys, and when large amounts of uric acid are close to depositing in miscellaneous renal tubules and interstitium, it may cause acute urinary tract obstruction, which may induce acute uric acid nephropathy. In addition, uric acid causes metabolic disorders, as well as the risk of vascular injury.

What are the foods that are purine powerhouses?

There are generally three classes of foods depending on their purine content:

There is a general pattern of purine content in food: offal, seafood> meat, legumes> staple foods, grains> vegetables, fruits

Mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, soybean sprouts, bean sprouts, asparagus, etc. in vegetarian foods are "purine powerhouses". The company's main goal is to provide a comprehensive range of products and services to the public.

In addition, the following foods that many people love to eat are also "purine powerhouses"

1. Alcohol

Alcohol is a major cause of gout attacks.

2. Seafood

Most seafood has a high purine content, and excessive intake of these foods can lead to an increase in blood uric acid levels, triggering a gout attack.

3. Red meat and animal offal

The purine content of animal offal is higher, even higher than that of ordinary meat, such as animal heart and liver, and should be eaten sparingly on a daily basis.

4. Grilled and fried foods

Although grilled and fried foods are very tasty, they can also have a negative impact on health. The barbecue food is rich in fat and can produce trans fatty acids, which can affect blood lipids and even increase the chance of cardiovascular disease, so it should be eaten sparingly on weekdays.

When high uric acid is detected during a physical examination, most doctors recommend treatment with uric acid-lowering drugs. But do some patients need treatment even though they are asymptomatic?

Once hyperuricemia is diagnosed, diet should be controlled, and studies have found that even with strict dietary control, it can be reduced by less than 100 μmol/L, so medication is the main way to lower uric acid.

So when blood uric acid is >9 mg/dl (540 μmol/L), you need to start uric acid treatment with medication, with a goal of <7 mg/dl. But it is important to note that uric acid should not drop below 3 mg/dl (180 μmol/L), regardless of the condition.

To control uric acid levels, the following is also critical:

High uric acid is one of the "diseases of affluence" that you eat, and dietary therapy is the first choice for managing hyperuricemia and gout. For people with high uric acid, control foods rich in purines.

Encourage moderate exercise, with at least 150 min of moderate intensity exercise per week recommended.

Obesity increases the risk of gout, and weight loss can effectively lower blood uric acid levels.

During an acute attack of gout, in addition to resting, elevating the affected limb, and avoiding weight bearing on the affected joint, it is also important to pay attention to the targeted use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as sodium bicarbonate tablets and diclofenac sodium to help relieve symptoms.

Patients with gout should not "forget the pain when they have symptoms" and then eat and drink as soon as the symptoms are relieved.

I. High uric acid and organ damage throughout the body!

2. 4 foods that are "purine powerhouses", don't crave them

3. How to get rid of "excess" uric acid?