Causes

By Mayo Clinic Staff

A high uric acid level can be the result of the body making too much uric acid, not getting rid of enough of it or both.

Causes of a high uric acid level in the blood include:

  1. Diuretics (water retention relievers)
  2. Drinking too much alcohol
  3. Drinking too much soda or eating too much of foods that contain fructose, a type of sugar
  4. Genetics also known as inherited traits
  5. High blood pressure (hypertension)
  6. Immune-suppressing drugs
  7. Kidney problems
  8. Leukemia
  9. Metabolic syndrome
  10. Niacin, also called vitamin B-3
  11. Obesity
  12. Polycythemia vera — a type of blood cancer.
  13. Psoriasis
  14. A purine-rich diet, high in foods such as liver, game meat, anchovies and sardines
  15. Tumor lysis syndrome — a rapid release of cells into the blood caused by certain cancers or by chemotherapy for those cancers

People having chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer might be monitored for high uric acid levels.

Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.

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Dec. 14, 2022