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Uric acid The waste product behind gout

Also called Urate, Serum urate and Serum uric acid Not on a standard checkup No fasting needed

The short answer

Uric acid is a waste product in your blood. Above about 6.8 mg/dL, it can come out of solution as crystals, and crystals in a joint cause gout.1,4 Many people with high uric acid never get gout, though.5

A good result
Under 6.8 mg/dL, where it stays dissolved. If you have gout, under 6.1,4
If yours is high
Without gout, US guidelines advise against medicine to lower it.1 Cutting back on alcohol and sugary drinks, and losing extra weight, help a little.1
Should you test?
Yes, if you have gout or have had a first gout flare, since the result guides treatment.1 It can also help if you have kidney disease or take a diuretic.3

Check your result

Type the number from your report. It stays on this page.

Do you have gout?

Gout is a form of arthritis that comes in sudden, very painful flares in a joint. If you take a medicine to lower uric acid, such as allopurinol, choose “I have gout”.

2.1 6.8 9
  • Very low Under 2.1
  • Normal 2.1 to 6.7
  • High 6.8 to 8.9
  • Very high 9.0 or more

Enter your result to see what it means and what to do next.

Got a result from another lab? Ask Picardo about it. The app explains your results, and a physician can follow up.

The 6.8 line is where uric acid stops dissolving, and the 6 target for gout is from US guidelines.1,4 Labcorp’s own ranges differ by sex and age. The bar isn’t to scale.

What is a normal uric acid level?

There are two numbers to know. US guidelines count 6.8 mg/dL or more as high, close to the level where uric acid stops dissolving.1,4 If you have gout, the target is lower: under 6.1 Labcorp’s ranges differ by sex, and its upper limit for men is 8.4:8

Very low 2.0 mg/dL or under

Very low uric acid

If you take allopurinol or another medicine that lowers uric acid, that’s the likely reason.7 Without one, a level this low is uncommon. Japan’s guideline suggests looking for a cause at 2.0 or under: an inherited difference in how your kidneys handle uric acid, a liver problem or another medicine.7

How worried to be

Not usually a worry. If you’re not on a urate-lowering medicine, mention it to a clinician at your next visit.

What to do next
  1. 1 If you take a urate-lowering medicine, show your clinician this result. Your dose may be more than you need.
  2. 2 If you don’t, ask a clinician whether it’s worth a urine test. The inherited form can raise the risk of kidney stones, and of kidney injury after very hard exercise.7
Normal 2.1 to 6.7 mg/dL

Below the level where crystals form

Uric acid stays dissolved in your blood below about 6.8.4 Gout is uncommon at these levels: in US studies, about 1 in 100 people under 6 developed it over 15 years.5 Labcorp’s range for women aged 18 to 50 ends at 6.2, so a result from 6.3 to 6.7 may be flagged on your report.8

How worried to be

Nothing to worry about.

What to do next
  1. 1 Nothing to do. Recheck if you get a sudden, painful swollen joint, or start a medicine that raises uric acid, such as a diuretic.3
High 6.8 to 8.9 mg/dL

High uric acid, but not gout

At 6.8 or more, uric acid can start to form crystals, so US guidelines call this hyperuricemia.1,4 It raises your chance of gout over the years, but most people at this level don’t get it, at least over 15 years.5 Labcorp’s range for men runs to 8.4, so your report may not flag this.8

How worried to be

Not urgent. Without gout, US guidelines advise against medicine to lower it.1

What to do next
  1. 1 Cut back on alcohol and on drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup.1
  2. 2 If you have weight to lose, losing it helps a little.1
  3. 3 Check your kidney function, since kidney disease raises uric acid and the chance of gout.3
Very high 9.0 mg/dL or higher

Very high: find out why

Gout becomes more likely as uric acid climbs: about 1 in 5 people above 9 developed it within 5 years,1 and about half of people at 10 or more developed it within 15 years.5 Even so, without gout, US guidelines advise against medicine to lower it.1

How worried to be

Not urgent. See a clinician in the next month or two to look for a cause, sooner if a joint becomes hot, swollen and very painful.

What to do next
  1. 1 Check your kidney function. Kidney disease and diuretics both raise uric acid.3
  2. 2 Cut back on alcohol and on drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup.1
  3. 3 If you do get a gout flare, a level above 9 is one reason US guidelines suggest starting medicine after a first flare.1
Under 3 Under 3.0 mg/dL, if you have gout

Lower than you need long term

Your treatment is lowering uric acid well. European guidelines recommend not keeping it under 3 for the long term.2 US guidelines set no lower limit, but say the safety of keeping it this low for years needs more study.1

How worried to be

Not a worry. Mention it at your next visit.

What to do next
  1. 1 Show your clinician this result. Your dose may be more than you need, especially once flares and any tophi have settled.2
  2. 2 Keep taking your medicine until you’ve talked it over.1
At target 3.0 to 5.9 mg/dL, if you have gout

At your target

For people with gout on treatment, US guidelines strongly recommend keeping uric acid under 6.1 European guidelines aim lower, under 5, for severe gout with tophi, joint damage or frequent flares, until the crystals have dissolved.2

How worried to be

Nothing to worry about.

What to do next
  1. 1 Keep taking your medicine. US guidelines suggest continuing it long term rather than stopping.1
  2. 2 Keep checking uric acid as your clinician advises, to stay under target.1
Above target 6 mg/dL or higher, if you have gout

Above your target

If you take a urate-lowering medicine, US guidelines strongly recommend adjusting the dose until you’re under 6.1 If you don’t take one, they strongly recommend starting if you have tophi (lumps of crystals under the skin), joint damage on imaging or two or more flares a year.1

How worried to be

Worth raising with your clinician in the next month or two, or sooner if you’re having flares.

What to do next
  1. 1 Ask your clinician about starting or adjusting a medicine. Allopurinol is the usual first choice.1
  2. 2 Cut back on alcohol, especially beer and spirits, and on drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup.1,2
  3. 3 Recheck after any dose change.1
Heart Health panel
$150.90 · Uric acid plus 16 more tests, one visit
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Or order uric acid on its own, $3.25

What is uric acid?

Think of uric acid like sugar stirred into iced tea. Up to a point, it dissolves. Past that point, it settles out as crystals, and in a joint, those crystals cause gout.

Uric acid is a waste product in your blood. When there’s more than your blood can hold dissolved, it can form crystals, and crystals in and around joints cause gout.4

Does high uric acid mean you’ll get gout?

Not necessarily. Gout risk rises steeply with uric acid, but many people with high levels never get it. In four US studies that followed 18,889 people, the chance of gout over 15 years ranged from about 1% with uric acid under 6 mg/dL to about 49% at 10 or more.5

Should you treat high uric acid without gout?

US guidelines say no. The American College of Rheumatology advises against urate-lowering medicine for people with high uric acid but no gout, including people with kidney disease, heart disease, kidney stones or high blood pressure.1 In trials, 24 people would need treatment for three years to prevent a single first gout flare.1

High uric acid tends to go with heart and kidney disease, so researchers have tested whether lowering it helps:

  • The heart. In ALL-HEART, 5,721 people aged 60 or over with heart disease and no gout took allopurinol or usual care for about five years. Heart attacks, strokes and heart deaths didn’t fall.6
  • The kidneys. In trials of people with kidney disease, urate-lowering drugs didn’t slow the decline in kidney function. Kidney guidelines suggest not using them for that.3

What raises uric acid?

  • Alcohol1
  • Drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup1
  • Food high in purines, such as meat1,3
  • Extra weight1
  • Kidney disease3
  • Diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide1,3

Diet matters less than many people think. A serving of beer raises uric acid by only about 0.16 mg/dL.1

How to lower uric acid

  • Urate-lowering medicine

    For people with gout, allopurinol is the first choice, with the dose raised until uric acid is under 6.1 It isn’t recommended for high uric acid without gout.1

    How much it helps
    A lot
    How sure we are
    Very sure
  • Cutting back on alcohol

    People with gout who cut back on or stopped alcohol had uric acid about 1.6 mg/dL lower.1

    How much it helps
    Some
    How sure we are
    Early evidence
  • Losing extra weight

    In a small study of people with obesity, losing about 5 kg lowered uric acid by about 1.1 mg/dL.1

    How much it helps
    A little
    How sure we are
    Early evidence
  • Fewer sugary drinks

    A large dose of fructose raises uric acid by 1 to 2 mg/dL within two hours. US guidelines suggest limiting high-fructose corn syrup.1

    How much it helps
    A little
    How sure we are
    Early evidence
  • Changing blood pressure medicine

    With gout, US guidelines suggest switching from hydrochlorothiazide where possible, and preferring losartan.1

    How much it helps
    A little
    How sure we are
    Early evidence

Vitamin C supplements aren’t recommended for gout.1 Newer medicines are coming. In a trial of 811 people with gout and frequent flares, pozdeutinurad brought uric acid under 6 at six months in 69% on the higher dose, against 8% on placebo. The results are a conference abstract, due to be presented in November 2026, and haven’t been published in a journal yet.9

Who should get a uric acid test?

  • You have gout. US guidelines recommend checking regularly to keep it under target.1
  • You’ve had a first gout flare. A level above 9 is one reason to start medicine.1
  • You have kidney disease, where gout is more common.3
  • You take a diuretic, which raises uric acid.3

A high result on its own isn’t a reason to start medicine.1

How to get a uric acid test, and what it costs

A uric acid test costs $3.25 through Picardo. The Heart Health panel adds 16 more tests from the same visit for $150.90.

Recommended

Heart Health panel

$150.90
17 tests · fast for 12 hours first

The panel measures uric acid too, and adds kidney function, HbA1c, insulin and an advanced cholesterol test from the same draw. See what’s in it

Order the Heart Health panel
Just this test

Uric acid on its own

$3.25
Labcorp 001057 · no fasting needed

Only the number this page is about.

Order uric acid
  • Results in 2 to 3 days, in the app
  • Physician follow-up if you want one
  • Free Labcorp draw, or $75 at home
  • No other fees. HSA and FSA eligible.

It’s also part of the Base Core Annual – Men, Base Core Annual – Women and Thyroid & Autoimmunity panels, if you want a wider checkup.

Already have a result? Ask Picardo about it

Questions people ask

Does high uric acid mean I have gout?

No. Gout is when crystals cause flares of joint pain. Many people with high uric acid never get it.5 Even at 10 mg/dL or more, only about half developed gout over 15 years in US studies.5

Can I lower uric acid with diet alone?

A little. Diet has a small effect overall: a serving of beer raises uric acid by about 0.16 mg/dL. People with gout who cut back on or stopped alcohol had levels about 1.6 lower.1

Is high uric acid bad for my heart or kidneys?

It goes with heart and kidney disease, but lowering it hasn’t helped either in trials of people without gout.3,6 US gout guidelines advise against medicine for high uric acid without gout,1 and kidney guidelines suggest not using it to protect the kidneys.3

What is a normal uric acid level for a woman?

Labcorp’s range for women is 2.6 to 6.2 mg/dL from 18 to 50, 3.0 to 7.2 from 51 to 70, and 3.1 to 7.9 from 71. For men it’s 3.8 to 8.4.8 Whatever your sex, uric acid can form crystals from about 6.8.4

Do vitamin C supplements lower uric acid?

Not enough to matter for gout. US guidelines suggest not adding vitamin C to treat it.1

Often checked alongside

Fasting glucose
Blood sugar after an overnight fast
HbA1c
Average blood sugar over three months
Triglycerides
Blood fats that rise with sugar and alcohol
Fasting insulin
An early sign of insulin resistance

Test details

Labcorp test
Uric Acid, 001057
LOINC
3084-1
Sample
Blood
Fasting
None listed by Labcorp8
Typical lab range
3.8 to 8.4 mg/dL (men); 2.6 to 6.2 mg/dL (women aged 18 to 50), with the upper limit rising with age to 7.9 from 718
Units
mg/dL in the US. For µmol/L, multiply by 59.5.3

Sources

  1. 1 FitzGerald JD, Dalbeth N, Mikuls T, et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology guideline for the management of gout. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2020;72(6):744–760. doi.org/10.1002/acr.24180
  2. 2 Richette P, Doherty M, Pascual E, et al. 2016 updated EULAR evidence-based recommendations for the management of gout. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76(1):29–42. doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-209707
  3. 3 Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group. KDIGO 2024 clinical practice guideline for the evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int. 2024;105(4S):S117–S314. doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2023.10.018
  4. 4 Chhana A, Lee G, Dalbeth N. Factors influencing the crystallization of monosodium urate: a systematic literature review. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2015;16:296. doi.org/10.1186/s12891-015-0762-4
  5. 5 Dalbeth N, Phipps-Green A, Frampton C, Neogi T, Taylor WJ, Merriman TR. Relationship between serum urate concentration and clinically evident incident gout: an individual participant data analysis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018;77(7):1048–1052. doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-212288
  6. 6 Mackenzie IS, Hawkey CJ, Ford I, et al. Allopurinol versus usual care in UK patients with ischaemic heart disease (ALL-HEART): a multicentre, prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint trial. Lancet. 2022;400(10359):1195–1205. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01657-9
  7. 7 Nakayama A, Matsuo H, Ohtahara A, et al. Clinical practice guideline for renal hypouricemia (1st edition). Hum Cell. 2019;32(2):83–87. doi.org/10.1007/s13577-019-00239-3
  8. 8 Labcorp. Uric acid, test 001057. Labcorp test menu. Accessed October 28, 2026. www.labcorp.com/tests/001057/uric-acid
  9. 9 Khanna P, Mandell B, Keenan R, et al. Treatment with URAT1 inhibitor pozdeutinurad (AR882) in a phase 3, double-blind, randomized study lowers serum urate levels in participants with gout [abstract LB20]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2026;78(suppl 9). ACR Convergence 2026. acrabstracts.org/abstract/treatment-with-urat1-inhibitor-pozdeutinurad-ar882-in-a-phase-3-double-blind-randomized-study-lowers-serum-urate-levels-in-participants-with-gout/

Updated 28 Oct 2026.

This is general health information, not medical advice: talk to your clinician about your results and before changing any treatment.