Treatment of Hyperuricemia with Medication

Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
Updated on September 14, 2024
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The treatment of hyperuricemia primarily involves dietary control, focusing on low-purine foods, increasing water intake, and maintaining regular exercise. Additionally, alkalizing the urine using sodium bicarbonate to keep the urine pH between 6.2 and 6.9 can help facilitate the excretion of uric acid. It's also important to avoid medications that can increase uric acid levels. For reducing uric acid, treatments mainly include probenecid, which can increase the excretion of uric acid, and febuxostat, an alternative to allopurinol, though side effects of these medications should be noted. Therefore, it is advised for patients with hyperuricemia to consult a doctor at a reputable hospital before taking any medications.

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Written by Li Hui Zhi
Endocrinology
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What foods to eat for hyperuricemia?

Dietary requirements for hyperuricemia primarily include a low-purine diet, avoiding foods high in purines. It's important to recognize which foods are high in purines, such as seafood and certain fish, which should be avoided. Secondly, some mushrooms and soy products also have higher levels of purines and should be consumed less frequently. Thirdly, alcohol, especially spirits and beer, must be avoided. Fourthly, one should avoid consuming rich, slow-cooked broths as they also contain high levels of purines. Lastly, it is recommended to drink more water, typically between 1500ml to 2000ml daily.

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Written by Li Hui Zhi
Endocrinology
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Hyperuricemia and Its Complications

Hyperuricemia mainly refers to the elevation of uric acid levels in the blood, with levels exceeding 420 umol/l in males and 360 umol/l in females being diagnostic criteria. Some patients with hyperuricemia may not show symptoms, but if not controlled, complications can arise such as gouty arthritis, which manifests as local joint redness, swelling, heat, and pain, and even limited mobility. If it affects the kidneys, it leads to gouty kidney, which is characterized by abnormal kidney function and elevated creatinine levels. Therefore, if diagnosed with hyperuricemia, it is advisable to control diet, drink plenty of water, and seek timely medical treatment.

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Written by Luo Juan
Endocrinology
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Is hyperuricemia contagious?

Hyperuricemia is not contagious. Hyperuricemia refers to a condition where the concentration of uric acid in the blood exceeds the normal upper limit. Typically, for males and post-menopausal females, a blood uric acid concentration greater than 420 µmol/L, or pre-menopausal females with more than 348 µmol/L, is considered hyperuricemia. Most severe cases of hyperuricemia are due to deficiencies in uric acid metabolism enzymes and fall under the category of liver metabolism disorders. Moreover, mild to moderate hyperuricemia is often associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and coronary heart disease, among others. It is a type of nucleic acid metabolic disease, and therefore, it is not contagious.

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Written by Luo Juan
Endocrinology
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Hyperuricemia treatment agent

Currently, the main treatments for hyperuricemia in clinical practice include the following types. One category is drugs that inhibit uric acid synthesis, primarily allopurinol and febuxostat. Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, which mainly works by preventing the conversion of hypoxanthine and xanthine into uric acid through the inhibition of xanthine oxidase. Febuxostat, on the other hand, is a newer xanthine oxidase inhibitor and may be more effective than allopurinol in lowering blood uric acid levels. Another category includes drugs that promote the excretion of uric acid, suitable for patients with normal renal function and hyperuricemia. These mainly include probenecid, benzbromarone, and some use of thiazide diuretics, though their effectiveness for hyperuricemia is somewhat controversial. (Specific medications should be taken under the guidance of a physician.)

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Written by Lin Xiang Dong
Endocrinology
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Hyperuricemia Typing

Hyperuricemia can usually be divided into two types: primary hyperuricemia and secondary hyperuricemia. The first type, primary hyperuricemia, is mainly due to congenital purine metabolic disorders, leading to excessive production of uric acid in the body, which then causes hyperuricemia. Secondary hyperuricemia is caused by a variety of acute and chronic diseases, such as common chronic renal failure, and hematological tumors, among others.