How to choose between medication and lifestyle change when uric acid remains high? Take a look at the doctor's advice

Hyperuricemia is a common metabolic disease. The long-term increase of blood uric acid is easy to induce gout, and can increase the incidence of diabetes, renal function damage, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

Hyperuricemia is a common metabolic disease. The long-term increase of blood uric acid is easy to induce gout, and can increase the incidence of diabetes, renal function damage, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, after discovering an increase in uric acid, reasonable uric acid lowering treatment should be given. So, how to choose between medication and lifestyle change when uric acid remains high? Next, the medical student will analyze for you.

• Damage to joints can cause gouty arthritis, and long-term corrosion of joints by urate can also lead to joint deformities, affecting limb function, and increasing the formation of gouty stones;

• Damage to the kidneys can lead to a decrease in renal function, weakened renal drainage and detoxification ability, and in severe cases, uremia can be induced in the late stage, while it is more prone to the formation of uric acid kidney stones;

• The damage to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is no less than chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, which can increase the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction and other diseases;

• In addition, hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for diabetes, because hyperuricemia patients are more likely to have metabolic disorders, and the incidence of abnormal blood sugar is higher.

This is a gout stone that occurs in the auricle

Therefore, after discovering elevated uric acid levels, reasonable uric acid lowering treatment should be given, but not all patients require medication. Some patients can first lower uric acid levels by changing their lifestyle.

So, when do patients with hyperuricemia need medication? It mainly depends on three factors:

Uric acid salt deposits in the first metatarsophalangeal joint, inducing gouty arthritis

Therefore, for the above patients, there are no more options for treatment, and medication to lower uric acid is the main treatment method. Although lifestyle changes have the effect of lowering uric acid, the reduction is limited and it is difficult to control uric acid levels. Long term failure to meet uric acid levels can increase target organ damage and may increase the risk of acute and chronic complications. The correct choice is to give medication treatment based on lifestyle changes.

Of course, if the above situations are not combined, non pharmacological treatment methods can be relied on to reduce uric acid, but at this time, appropriate treatment methods should still be selected to effectively reduce uric acid. Diet is the most important non pharmacological treatment for reducing uric acid, with a focus on reasonable selection, quantity control, and limiting alcohol consumption.

• Reasonable choice: Purine in food is metabolized to produce uric acid, and some foods are abnormally rich in purine. Patients with hyperuricemia may take this kind of food for a long time, even if the amount is small, it may also be the trigger of gout. Therefore, animal viscera such as liver and kidney should be avoided, and shelled seafood such as shrimp and shellfish should be avoided as far as possible. Because purine in meat is easily soluble in water, highly concentrated broth or gravy should be avoided as possible.

• Quantity control: The above foods are exceptionally rich in purines, and we can avoid them if possible. However, meat products such as pork, beef, and most aquatic products also have high purine levels. What should we do? These foods can provide rich nutrients, but purines are significantly reduced compared to before, so the focus is on controlling the amount of intake and eating less; At the same time, high fructose drinks such as honey, concocted fruit juice, carbonated drinks, etc. should be consumed less. These drinks can inhibit uric acid emissions, and long-term consumption in large quantities can be counterproductive.

We emphasize avoiding or reducing the consumption of the above foods as much as possible, but the human body has a demand for various nutrients every day. Strict restrictions on food intake may lead to malnutrition. What foods can supplement nutrients without increasing uric acid, or reduce gout attacks? Of course there are: eggs, dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruits are good choices, and drinking water should be increased.

• Eggs and dairy products can provide adequate nutritional requirements for the human body, such as protein. The purine content of these two kinds of food is not high, and dairy products can reduce the incidence of gout, which may be related to their role in promoting uric acid excretion. Therefore, patients with hyperuricemia can take an appropriate amount of eggs and drink 300 ml of milk every day. It is recommended to choose low-fat or skim milk for dairy products, which can reduce the impact on metabolism.

• Vegetables are special. Because some vegetables also have high purine content, some friends worry about whether they will increase uric acid and induce gout. Please note that vegetables, beans, bean products and other foods have little impact on uric acid and will not increase the risk of gout. Therefore, patients with hyperuricemia can take one jin of fresh vegetables every day; Fruits are rich in potassium ions and vitamins, which can also reduce gout. However, some fruits have high fructose content, which may be detrimental to the control of uric acid. Therefore, patients with hyperuricemia can choose fruits with low fructose content, such as cherries, strawberries, pineapples, watermelon, etc.

• Drinking water can benefit patients with hyperuricemia in many ways. Proper drinking water can speed up and improve metabolism, and can also promote the excretion of uric acid. Therefore, appropriate drinking water is conducive to reducing uric acid. It is recommended to keep it at 2000-3000ml every day. You can choose plain water, light tea, or appropriately increase the intake of coffee. Studies have found that coffee can reduce the incidence of gout. However, patients with heart and kidney dysfunction should be aware that drinking a large amount of water can increase the burden on the heart and kidneys, so they should act according to their individual circumstances.

In addition, moderate exercise, weight loss, and quitting smoking can also reduce uric acid. When exercising, the intensity should not be too high, otherwise it can easily increase uric acid and increase gout attacks. Moderate is appropriate, and the judgment standard is to keep the heart rate at 50% -70% of (220 age). Aerobic exercise such as jogging, brisk walking, cycling, etc. can be chosen, with half an hour of exercise each time and at least five times a week. This is beneficial for reducing uric acid and reducing gout attacks. Whether the body weight exceeds the standard is judged by the body mass index (BMI). Weight is measured in kilograms and height is measured in meters. The BMI can be obtained by dividing weight by the square of height. It is recommended to control diet and increase exercise to keep the BMI within 24kg/square meter. Both active smoking and passive smoking are prone to increase uric acid and induce gout. Therefore, it is recommended that hyperuricemia patients or their families quit smoking.

This article is originally written by a medical student. Welcome to follow and learn together!

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