Abnormal uric acid levels can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'critical'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose abnormal uric acid levels, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Heart Disease | 95% | Confirm |
Syndrome X | 28% | Unlikely |
Molybdenum Need | 4% | Ruled out |
Uric acid (plasma). Unit: mg/dL [umol/L]
Possible responses:
→ Don't know→ Under 3.5 [210] → 3.5 to 4.5 [210-270] → 4.6 to 7.0 [280-420] (normal) → Over 7.0 [420] |
Elevated levels of serum uric acid increase the risk of heart attack.
In evaluating 5,926 subjects who were between 25 and 74 years of age, after 16.4 years of follow-up, there were 1,593 deaths of which 45.9% were attributed to cardiovascular disease. It was found that increased serum uric acid levels were independently and significantly associated with the risk of cardiovascular mortality. [JAMA, May 10, 2000;283(18): pp.2404-2410]
Xanthine oxidase, the enzyme that immediately produces uric acid, uses molybdenum as a cofactor. Molybdenum is known to raise uric acid levels, which is why people with gout (a condition of elevated high uric acid levels) are told to avoid molybdenum supplements.