How does hyperuricemia cause damage to kidneys

Hyperuricemia and gout are two different names for one disease. Gout is a disease caused by a group of purine metabolic disorders, in clinic, it is characterized by hyperuricemia and some complications which is due to hyperuricemia, like the relapse of acute gout arthritis, tophus deposit and chronic arthritis or joint deformity due to tophus, all of which often do harm to kidneys and lead to chronic interstitial nephritis and uric acid stone.


Almost one third of the patients who have long-term gout have kidney damage and it is characterized by the following three forms:
1. Gouty nephropathy. Urate crystal deposition in the kidney tissues can cause interstitial nephritis, simply in the form of proteinuria and microscopic hematuria in the early stage, so it is easy to be ignored. However, with the progression of disease, proteinuria become sustainable. The impairment of concentrating function in kidney lead to a serious of phenomena such as nocturia increasing and low proportion of urine. Eventually, patients will convert to uremia from chronic azotemia.
2. Acute renal failure. This is because large amounts of uric acid crystals widely block the cavity of renal tubular, thus causing obstruction of urine stream .
3. Lithangiuria. About 20%-25% of primary gout patients have the complications of urinary stones related to high uric acid, part of the patients have kidney stone that occurs earlier than arthritis. While patients with secondary hyperuricemia have higher incidence in allusion to lithangiuria. Kidney stones like fine sediment can be excreted in the urine without any symptoms, but patients with larger stones often have renal colic, hematuresis and urinary tract infections.

With regard to the nursing of hyperuricemia, patients should attach great importance to develop good habits in the daily life.
Read more about: Why does renal failure patient experiences hematemesis

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