
Uric Acid: Elevated uric acid level do we need to treat it?
Elevated uric acid level do we need to treat it?
The shoulder and spine are very rarely involved in gouty arthritis, and just elevated serum uric acid without clinical features need not be treated. Measurement of serum uric acid is the most misused test in the diagnosis of gout. Approximately 25% of the population has a history of elevated serum uric acid, but only a minority of patients with hyperuricemia develop gout. Thus, an abnormally high serum uric acid level does not indicate or predict gout.
Asymptomatic hyperuricemia generally should not be treated. However, patients with levels higher than 11 mg/dL and overexcretion of uric acid are at increased risk for renal stones and renal impairment; therefore, renal function should be monitored in this individual.
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