Hyperuricemia

Hyperuricaemia or hyperuricemia is an abnormally high level of uric acid in the blood. In the pH conditions of body fluid, uric acid exists largely as urate, the ion form. Serum uric acid concentrations greater than 6 mg/dL for females, 7 mg/dL for men, and 5.5 mg/dL for youth (under 18 years old) are defined as hyperuricemia. The amount of urate in the body depends on the balance between the amount of purines eaten in food, the amount of urate synthesised within the body (e.g., through cell turnover), and the amount of urate that is excreted in urine or through the gastrointestinal tract. Hyperuricemia may be the result of increased production of uric acid, decreased excretion of uric acid, or both increased production and reduced excretion.

Prehyperuricemia: Prehyperuricemia (pre-HU) may be defined as a metabolic condition where serum uric acid value is at a high normal level between 6–7 mg/dL in men and 5–6 mg/dl in women. This value is presently considered normal or high normal. At this level or even below this, UA-induced systemic inflammation develops.