Uric Acid Levels Chart: What’s Normal and What’s Dangerous

Normal uric acid levels generally fall between 3.5 and 7.0 mg/dL for men and 2.5 and 6.0 mg/dL for women. Understanding these numbers is one piece of a broader gout tracking strategy. The critical threshold to understand is 6.8 mg/dL, which is the saturation point at body temperature where uric acid begins to crystallize in joints and tissues. Levels consistently above this threshold create the conditions for gout, though not everyone with elevated levels will develop symptoms.

Here is a comprehensive reference chart for interpreting your blood test results.

Uric Acid Reference Ranges

Level (mg/dL)	Level (micromol/L)	Classification	Clinical Significance
Below 2.0	Below 119	Abnormally low	May indicate kidney issues, liver disease, or certain medications. Discuss with your doctor.
2.0 - 3.4	119 - 202	Low normal	Generally healthy range. Very low gout risk.
3.5 - 6.0	208 - 357	Normal	Healthy range for both men and women. Target range for gout patients on treatment.
6.1 - 6.8	363 - 405	High normal	Within reference range but approaching saturation. Worth monitoring if you have gout history.
6.9 - 8.0	410 - 476	Mild hyperuricemia	Above crystallization threshold. Increased gout risk. Crystal formation possible.
8.1 - 10.0	482 - 595	Moderate hyperuricemia	Significantly elevated. Higher flare risk. Treatment often recommended.
Above 10.0	Above 595	Severe hyperuricemia	Substantially elevated. High risk of flares and complications. Prompt medical attention recommended.

What Is the Crystallization Threshold and Why Does It Matter?

Uric acid circulates in the blood as monosodium urate. To understand what causes gout at a deeper level, it helps to know that at concentrations above approximately 6.8 mg/dL at normal body temperature (37 degrees Celsius or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), the blood becomes supersaturated and monosodium urate can precipitate out of solution, forming needle-shaped crystals.

These crystals deposit preferentially in joints, particularly in cooler peripheral joints like the big toe, ankles, and fingers. The lower temperature in extremities actually reduces the solubility threshold below 6.8 mg/dL, which is why gout so commonly affects the feet.

However, crystallization is not instantaneous. It depends on several factors:

• Duration of elevation - Brief spikes above 6.8 mg/dL are less likely to cause crystallization than sustained elevation over weeks or months.
• Local temperature - Cooler joints crystallize at lower concentrations.
• pH - More acidic conditions reduce uric acid solubility.
• Existing crystal deposits - Once crystals have formed, they act as seeds that make further crystallization easier. This is why first-time gout sufferers may tolerate higher levels than people with established gout.
• Tissue factors - Cartilage and synovial fluid composition can promote or inhibit crystal formation.

The treatment target of below 6.0 mg/dL (rather than just below 6.8) exists specifically to provide a margin of safety below the crystallization point and to promote gradual dissolution of any existing crystal deposits.

Why Do Uric Acid Levels Fluctuate?

One of the most confusing aspects of uric acid testing is that levels can vary significantly from one test to another, even within the same day. Understanding why helps you interpret your results more accurately.

Daily Variation

Uric acid levels follow a circadian pattern, typically highest in the morning and lowest in the afternoon. This variation can amount to 1-2 mg/dL within a single day. Hydration status also affects measurements: dehydration concentrates the blood, producing higher readings, while good hydration dilutes it.

Dietary Effects

A purine-heavy meal can raise uric acid levels within hours, with effects lasting 24 to 48 hours. Fructose-containing drinks can spike levels within 30 to 60 minutes. Alcohol, particularly beer, elevates levels through both purine content and impaired excretion. These dietary effects mean that a blood test taken the morning after a rich dinner may read differently than one taken after a day of light eating.

Medication Effects

Urate-lowering medications like allopurinol and febuxostat directly reduce uric acid levels, sometimes dramatically. Diuretics (commonly prescribed for high blood pressure) can raise levels by reducing kidney excretion. Low-dose aspirin, cyclosporine, and certain other medications also affect uric acid handling. Any medication change can shift your results.

Acute Flares

Paradoxically, uric acid levels often drop during acute gout flares. The inflammatory response increases kidney excretion temporarily, and the crystallization process itself removes uric acid from the blood (depositing it as crystals in the joint). This is why testing during a flare can produce misleadingly normal results. Roughly 40 percent of patients show normal uric acid during an active attack.

Other Factors

Exercise, stress, illness, dehydration, weight changes, and seasonal variation can all affect readings. This is why single measurements should be interpreted cautiously and why tracking trends over multiple tests provides a more reliable picture.

How to Interpret Your Results in Context

A single uric acid test is a snapshot, not a verdict. For meaningful interpretation, consider:

Trends matter more than individual readings. Three tests showing 7.2, 7.5, and 7.0 mg/dL tell a clearer story than any single measurement. If your doctor is adjusting medication, regular testing shows whether the treatment is working.

Context affects the number. Were you fasting? Had you eaten a large meal the night before? Were you well-hydrated? Were you ill or stressed? Were you in the middle of a flare? All of these factors influence the reading.

The target, not just the range, matters for gout patients. Even if your level falls within the lab’s stated normal range (which may go up to 8.0 mg/dL in some labs), staying below 6.0 mg/dL is the treatment target for preventing crystal formation and allowing existing deposits to dissolve.

How Does Tracking Uric Acid Levels Fit Into Overall Gout Management?

Blood tests provide periodic snapshots of your uric acid status, but they cannot tell you what happened between tests or what specific factors drove changes. This is where daily tracking of meals, hydration, sleep, and other lifestyle factors fills the gap. Factors that affect uric acid excretion often explain why levels change between tests.

By combining periodic uric acid test results with daily tracking data, you can begin to understand which behaviors and dietary patterns influence your levels. For example, if your uric acid drops from 7.5 to 6.2 mg/dL between two tests, reviewing your tracking data for that period might reveal that you significantly increased water intake, reduced sugary drink consumption, or improved sleep quality.

An app like Urica helps bridge this gap by tracking the daily factors that influence uric acid levels between blood tests. While the app does not measure uric acid directly (that requires a blood test), it tracks the dietary and lifestyle inputs, including purine intake, fructose consumption, hydration, and other metabolic factors, that your blood tests ultimately reflect. Over time, connecting your test results to your tracked behavior patterns helps you understand what moves your numbers and what does not.

When Should You See a Doctor About Your Uric Acid Levels?

Consult your healthcare provider if:

• Your uric acid is consistently above 6.8 mg/dL, especially if you have a history of gout or kidney stones.
• You are experiencing symptoms that could indicate gout: sudden, severe joint pain, redness, swelling, and warmth, typically in a single joint.
• You are on urate-lowering therapy and your levels are not reaching the target range.
• Your levels are abnormally low (below 2.0 mg/dL), which can indicate other medical conditions.
• You are unsure how to interpret your results in the context of your overall health and medications.

Uric acid management is a long-term process. Understanding what your numbers mean, why they fluctuate, and what influences them puts you in a stronger position to work with your doctor on an effective management plan.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for interpretation of blood test results and treatment decisions.