Hyperuricemia Complications

Written by Li Hui Zhi
Endocrinology
Updated on November 25, 2024
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Common complications, the first is the effect on joints, manifested as local joint redness, swelling, heat, and pain, and even mobility impairment, usually referring to gouty arthritis. The second complication is the effect on the kidneys, resulting in hyperuricemic nephropathy, where the patient will experience abnormal kidney function. The third complication is the formation of gouty tophi, where many patients have deposits in the joints, leading to the occurrence of tophi and causing joint mobility impairment. Therefore, hyperuricemia needs to be treated promptly to prevent these complications.

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Written by Liang Yin
Endocrinology
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How to reduce high uric acid in hyperuricemia?

The treatment of hyperuricemia includes lifestyle intervention and medication. Lifestyle intervention involves controlling the total caloric intake of the diet, limiting the intake of high-purine foods, avoiding animal offal, shellfish, hot pots, and not consuming tofu, bean sprouts, and other soy products. Smoking and drinking alcohol should be prohibited. It is advocated to eat alkaline foods and choose melon-type vegetables. Appropriate exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, and aerobic dancing, should be performed. Weight control is necessary, and obese patients should lose weight. Secondly, medication should be used to lower uric acid levels. Options include drugs that promote the excretion of uric acid and drugs that inhibit the production of uric acid, while also alkalizing the urine.

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Written by Li Jing
Rheumatology
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What should be noted for hyperuricemia?

Firstly, hyperuricemia is just found during routine physical examinations or blood tests, showing an increase in blood uric acid levels without the occurrence of gout attacks, meaning there are no symptoms of joint pain. At this time, there is no need for special medication, which means uric acid-lowering drugs are not required. However, you need to be cautious and change your lifestyle habits. For example, abstaining from alcohol, controlling the intake of animal organs, seafood, and barbecued foods. Additionally, drinking more water is necessary, and for overweight individuals, controlling weight and losing weight are important considerations. Also, you should avoid intense physical activities as they can trigger gout attacks, but this doesn't mean no exercise at all; slow walking and swimming are fine.

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Written by Li Hui Zhi
Endocrinology
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How should one with hyperuricemia adjust their diet?

For the diet of hyperuricemia, it is generally recommended to follow a low-purine diet. What is a low-purine diet? First, try to avoid consuming seafood, animal organs, and other seafood products that contain high purines. Second, it is advised to abstain from alcohol, especially spirits and beer, and it is best not to drink them at all. Third, drink plenty of water, ensuring a daily intake of at least 1500 to 2000 milliliters. Fourth, it is also recommended to avoid consuming traditional long-cooked soups and hotpots.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
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How is hyperuricemia treated?

The treatment of hyperuricemia mainly includes: First, improving lifestyle, including healthy eating with a low-purine diet, quitting smoking, drinking more water, exercising regularly, and controlling weight. Second, alkalinizing the urine using sodium bicarbonate to maintain urine pH between 6.2 and 6.9, which facilitates the excretion of uric acid. Third, avoiding medications that increase blood uric acid levels, such as diuretics, corticosteroids, and insulin, among others. Fourth, using medications that lower uric acid, including drugs that increase uric acid excretion, mainly benzbromarone and probenecid, and drugs that inhibit uric acid synthesis, such as allopurinol and febuxostat. The choice of medication has specific indications, contraindications, and side effects, and it is advised to use these medications under the guidance of a specialist and not to self-medicate.

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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.)