How to Control Gout and Uric Gout, Uric Acid, and Kidneys: Acid, and Protect Your Kidneys What Else Can You Do? Gout and Uric Acid What Is the Connection?
• Talk with your doctor about how to keep uric • Reduce risk factors for gout Tracker • Uric acid is a normal waste product found acid at the recommended level of 6.0 mg/dL and kidney disease: in our blood. But high uric acid levels can or less. You may need long-term treatment. cause painful crystals to form in the joints • Control high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidneys. The crystals in kidneys can also • When you start using medication to lower obesity, and high lipid levels. These form stones. When high uric acid causes uric acid in your blood, the crystals that conditions can raise uric acid levels crystals and stones, you have gout. have formed in your body will break down. and directly harm the kidneys. This can cause a gout attack (also known • Reduce the risk for gout flares: • Gout causes joint and kidney damage as a gout flare). To prevent this, your doctor Joints become: will add another medication to take for • Avoid gout triggers. Triggers are lifestyle several months. habits or changes in your body that cause • Painful gout flares. Triggers include stress, illness, • Stiff and swollen • In order to prevent gout flares, you must take injuries, weight gain, drugs, and certain • Deformed all medications for gout and high uric acid foods and beverages (alcohol, meat, fish, prescribed by your doctor. and products high in sugar). Kidneys become:
• Talk with your doctor about any other • Drink at least 8 cups of water a day. • Infected when stones block the flow of medications or supplements you take. If you have kidney disease, check with urine and it backs up (you may not notice Some can raise uric acid levels. Some your doctor about how much water to a decreased amount of urine if there is can make kidney function worse. drink. Enough water can reduce the risk a partial blockage) • If you have kidney disease, avoid non-steroidal of forming uric acid crystals. • Scarred by sharp stones anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). They can • Follow a healthy lifestyle: • Kidney infections and scars can also lead to make kidney function worse. • Don’t smoke. • Kidney disease • Exercise. • Kidney failure • Follow a healthy diet prescribed by your doctor and registered dietitian. • If you have kidney disease • Use the tracker and bring it to all of your • It is harder for your kidneys to get rid doctor visits. of uric acid. The valuable information you record on the • You are at greater risk for having high chart is specific to onlyyou , and will help uric acid levels and for getting gout. your doctor plan the best treatment. • High uric acid and gout may make your kidney function worse. For additional information on gout and high uric acid, and to use the tracker online, go to • Treating gout attacks may be more www.kidney.org/atoz complicated because you must avoid medications that harm the kidneys. Supported by • Talk with your doctor about your GFR (glomerular filtration rate), a simple blood test that measures your kidney function. © 2012 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. 11-10-4832_EBC GOUT AND URIC ACID TRACKER
DATE OF EXAM / / / / / / / / sUA (Serum uric acid: uric acid level in the blood)
GFR (Glomerular filtration rate: blood test for kidney function)
Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio (Urine test for signs of kidney damage)
Blood Pressure
Weight
DATE OF FLARE / / / / / / / / Where is the pain?
Level of pain (Circle your level of pain)
No Pain Worst Pain Possible Triggers
Medications and dosages to treat gout
For additional information on gout and high uric acid, and to use the tracker online, go to www.kidney.org/atoz