From the Research
Low uric acid, or hypouricemia, is defined as a serum uric acid concentration of ≤ 2.0 mg/dL or 119 μmol/L, as stated in the most recent study 1. This condition may indicate underlying health issues such as liver disease, certain genetic disorders, or malnutrition. Some medications like allopurinol or probenecid, which are typically used to treat gout, can also cause low uric acid levels if the dosage is too high. Certain conditions like Fanconi syndrome, Wilson's disease, or SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion) may be associated with hypouricemia. Key points to consider include:
- Low uric acid itself doesn't usually cause symptoms, but the underlying condition might.
- If you have low uric acid levels, your doctor will likely investigate potential causes through additional tests.
- Treatment focuses on addressing the underlying condition rather than directly treating the low uric acid.
- Uric acid plays important roles in the body, including acting as an antioxidant, so persistently low levels might potentially impact these functions, though this is still being studied, as discussed in 2. The most recent and highest quality study 1 provides the definition of hypouricemia, and other studies such as 3 discuss the effects of medications on uric acid levels, but the definition and general understanding of low uric acid are based on the latest evidence from 1.