Uric Acid Normal Range & Level Chart: What Level Is Dangerous?

TL;DR

• Normal ranges vary by lab: roughly 4.0–8.6 mg/dL for men and 3.0–7.1 mg/dL for women on MedlinePlus’s example range, and 200–430 µmol/L (men) and 140–360 µmol/L (women) on the UK’s harmonised range.
• The number that matters most is 6.8 mg/dL (about 400 µmol/L or 0.40 mmol/L). Above it, urate can crystallize in joints, even if your lab report says “normal.”
• If you have gout, the goal is under 6 mg/dL (360 µmol/L), and under 5 mg/dL (300 µmol/L) for severe gout.

Normal uric acid ranges vary by lab: the UK’s harmonised range is about 3.4 to 7.2 mg/dL for men and 2.4 to 6.1 mg/dL for women, and the example range on MedlinePlus runs higher. The level that is risky for gout is lower than many lab ranges suggest: above 6.8 mg/dL, urate can form crystals, and people with gout are treated to keep it below 6.

That gap between “normal on the report” and “safe for your joints” is the most common source of confusion. Below are the reference ranges, a full level chart in all three units, what counts as dangerous, and how to convert between mg/dL, µmol/L and mmol/L.

What Is the Normal Uric Acid Range?

A uric acid blood test (also called serum urate) is reported against a reference range: the spread of values the lab sees in healthy adults. Each lab sets its own, and men’s ranges run higher than women’s.

Reference range	Men	Women
MedlinePlus (US example range)	4.0–8.6 mg/dL (238–512 µmol/L)	3.0–7.1 mg/dL (178–422 µmol/L)
UK harmonised range (York and Scarborough NHS lab)	200–430 µmol/L (3.4–7.2 mg/dL)	140–360 µmol/L (2.4–6.1 mg/dL)

Two things to notice:

• Use the range printed on your own report. MedlinePlus notes that normal ranges vary slightly between laboratories. The UK range above is the one recommended by the Pathology Harmonisation Reference Group, as listed by York and Scarborough’s NHS lab; other labs may use their own.
• A “normal” result can still be above 6.8 mg/dL. The upper end of some ranges, especially for men, sits well above the point where urate can crystallize. A reference range describes what’s common in the population, not what’s ideal for someone with gout.

US labs usually report in mg/dL. UK, European and Australian labs use µmol/L, and some reports print mmol/L (such as 0.42), which is the same number divided by 1,000.

Uric Acid Level Chart (mg/dL, µmol/L and mmol/L)

This chart groups levels by what they mean for gout. The cut-offs come from the 6.8 mg/dL saturation point and the treatment targets in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2020 and EULAR 2016 gout guidelines.

Uric acid (mg/dL)	µmol/L	mmol/L	What it means
Below 3.0	Below 178	Below 0.18	Below the MedlinePlus example ranges and the UK men’s range. Not a gout risk. Can reflect urate-lowering drugs, other medicines, a low-purine diet or, less often, kidney conditions. EULAR advises against staying below 3 long term on treatment.
3.0–4.9	178–291	0.18–0.29	Inside the women’s ranges. For men, levels under 4.0 fall below the MedlinePlus example range and levels under 3.4 below the UK range. Not a gout risk. Meets the stricter under-5 target used for severe gout.
5.0–5.9	297–351	0.30–0.35	Normal. Meets the standard under-6 gout treatment target.
6.0–6.8	357–404	0.36–0.40	Often still “normal” on a lab report, but above the gout target and close to the saturation point.
6.9–9.0	410–535	0.41–0.54	Hyperuricemia: above the saturation point, so urate can crystallize. Part of this band still falls inside some labs’ ranges, especially for men.
Above 9.0	Above 535	Above 0.54	Markedly high. The ACR notes gout is more likely to progress above 9 mg/dL.

What Level of Uric Acid Is Dangerous?

There’s no single number at which uric acid becomes an emergency, but there are two thresholds doctors pay attention to, plus one situation they watch closely.

Above 6.8 mg/dL (about 400 µmol/L, 0.40 mmol/L): crystals can form. At this concentration urate reaches its solubility limit in blood, and above it the blood is supersaturated. This is the definition of hyperuricemia. Crystals are more likely to settle in cooler parts of the body, because urate becomes less soluble as temperature drops. That’s thought to be one reason gout favors the feet, including the big toe, and other spots far from the body’s core.

Above 9 mg/dL (about 535 µmol/L, 0.54 mmol/L): higher risk of progression. The ACR’s 2020 guideline notes that people with levels above 9 mg/dL are more likely to see their gout progress. After a first flare, a level above 9 is one of the situations where the ACR conditionally recommends starting urate-lowering treatment rather than waiting.

A rapid rise during cancer treatment. MedlinePlus explains that the rapid destruction of cancer cells, or weight loss, during certain types of chemotherapy can raise uric acid quickly, which is why the test may be done around those treatments.

High uric acid on its own, without gout, is called asymptomatic hyperuricemia. The ACR conditionally recommends against starting urate-lowering medicine for it, because the number alone isn’t a disease. It’s still worth finding out what is pushing it up. MedlinePlus lists alcohol, fructose, a purine-rich diet, dehydration, obesity, kidney problems and certain medicines among the causes, and high uric acid is also linked to kidney stones and kidney disease.

What Uric Acid Level Should You Aim For With Gout?

If you have gout and take urate-lowering therapy, the goal is not just to be “in range.” It’s to stay under a set target. In the words of EULAR’s 2006 gout recommendations, the goal of urate-lowering therapy “is to promote crystal dissolution and prevent crystal formation,” by keeping uric acid below the saturation point.

Guideline	Target	Who it applies to
ACR 2020 (US)	Under 6 mg/dL	Everyone on urate-lowering therapy.
EULAR 2016 (Europe)	Under 6 mg/dL (360 µmol/L)	Everyone on urate-lowering therapy.
EULAR 2016 (Europe)	Under 5 mg/dL (300 µmol/L)	People with severe gout, such as those with tophi (visible crystal lumps).

The ACR strongly recommends a “treat-to-target” approach: your doctor adjusts the dose of a medicine such as allopurinol step by step, guided by repeat blood tests, until you are under 6 mg/dL. The guideline says this titration should happen over weeks to months, not years, and that uric acid should be checked after each dose change. The ACR doesn’t set a lower target for severe disease; EULAR does. EULAR also advises against keeping uric acid below 3 mg/dL for the long term.

Why 6 and not 6.8? EULAR’s 2006 recommendations explain that a blood level of 6 mg/dL (360 µmol/L) or lower “reflects a tissue level that is likely to be well below this saturation point,” and a study they cite found crystals cleared from knee joint fluid once uric acid stayed below 6 mg/dL for at least 12 months.

How to Convert Uric Acid Units (mg/dL, µmol/L, mmol/L)

The conversion uses uric acid’s molecular weight (168.11 g/mol):

• mg/dL → µmol/L: multiply by 59.48 (about 59.5)
• µmol/L → mg/dL: divide by 59.48
• µmol/L → mmol/L: divide by 1,000 (so 420 µmol/L = 0.42 mmol/L)

Guidelines round these: 6 mg/dL is written as 360 µmol/L (356.9 by the formula) and 5 mg/dL as 300 µmol/L (297.4). If your report shows a decimal like 0.46, it’s in mmol/L.

mmol/L	µmol/L	mg/dL	Where it falls
0.24	240	4.0	Normal
0.30	300	5.0	At the severe-gout target
0.31	310	5.2	Under the gout target
0.32	320	5.4	Under the gout target
0.36	360	6.1	At the standard gout target
0.37	370	6.2	Above the gout target
0.40	400	6.7	Around the saturation point
0.41	410	6.9	Just above the saturation point
0.43	430	7.2	Top of the UK men’s range
0.46	460	7.7	Hyperuricemia
0.47	470	7.9	Hyperuricemia
0.48	480	8.1	Hyperuricemia
0.52	520	8.7	Hyperuricemia
0.53	530	8.9	Hyperuricemia
0.54	540	9.1	Above 9: markedly high
0.60	600	10.1	Markedly high

Is 6.9 or 8.1 mg/dL High?

These two readings are common search questions, and they show why the reference range alone can mislead.

• 6.9 mg/dL (410 µmol/L). Inside MedlinePlus’s example ranges for both sexes and the UK range for men, but above the UK range for women. Either way, it’s just over the 6.8 saturation point. If you have gout, it’s above target.
• 8.1 mg/dL (482 µmol/L). Still inside MedlinePlus’s example range for men, but above the UK range for both sexes and above the women’s range on both. It’s clearly in hyperuricemia territory. If you have gout, it’s well above target.

In both cases, what to do depends on whether you have gout, symptoms, kidney stones or other health conditions. That’s a conversation for your doctor, ideally with a repeat test to confirm the number.

Why Do Uric Acid Levels Fluctuate?

One test is a snapshot. Several things can move the number between tests:

• Diet and drinks. MedlinePlus lists a purine-rich diet, alcohol and fructose among the causes of high uric acid. See foods that lower uric acid for what helps on the other side.
• Hydration and exercise. Dehydration and very strenuous exercise can both push levels up.
• Medicines. Diuretics, low-dose aspirin, niacin, cyclosporine and tacrolimus can raise uric acid. Urate-lowering drugs, and some others such as atorvastatin, losartan and probenecid, can lower it.
• Kidney function. Uric acid is cleared through the kidneys, and MedlinePlus lists kidney failure among the causes of high levels. Anything that changes uric acid excretion changes your number.
• A gout flare. Levels often fall during an attack. A 2002 study found uric acid was lower during flares than between them, along with higher excretion in urine, and a 2011 review reported normal levels in 11% to 49% of people tested during an acute attack.

To get a reading you can compare over time, test when you’re not in a flare and under similar conditions each time. MedlinePlus advises not eating or drinking for 4 hours beforehand unless your provider says otherwise, and not stopping any medicine without asking first.

How to Read Your Result in Context

Look at the trend, not one number. Three results of 7.2, 7.5 and 7.0 mg/dL tell a clearer story than any single test. If your doctor is adjusting medication, the trend shows whether it’s working.

Note the circumstances. Were you fasting? Had you had a heavy meal or drinks the night before? Were you ill, dehydrated or in the middle of a flare? All of these affect the result.

Judge it against your target, not just the range. For someone with gout, a result of 6.5 mg/dL may be flagged as normal but is still above the under-6 target.

Blood tests show where you are, but not why. Keeping a simple record of meals, drinks and flares between tests (see our guide to gout tracking) helps explain why a number moved. An app like Urica can log those daily inputs for you, though only a blood test measures uric acid itself.

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

Talk to your healthcare provider if:

• Your uric acid is repeatedly above 6.8 mg/dL (about 400 µmol/L), especially if you’ve had gout or kidney stones.
• You have symptoms that could be gout: sudden, severe pain, redness, swelling and warmth, usually in one joint. Our gout symptoms guide covers what to look for.
• You’re on urate-lowering therapy and your level isn’t reaching target.
• Your level is well below your lab’s range and you aren’t on a urate-lowering drug.
• You’ve had a large, unexplained jump between tests.

The Bottom Line

Normal uric acid ranges vary by lab, roughly 3.4 to 7.2 mg/dL for men and 2.4 to 6.1 mg/dL for women on the UK harmonised range, with some US ranges running higher. The more useful line for gout is 6.8 mg/dL (about 400 µmol/L or 0.40 mmol/L): above it, urate can crystallize, even when the report says normal. Levels above 9 mg/dL carry a higher risk of progression. If you have gout, the goal on treatment is under 6 mg/dL (360 µmol/L), or under 5 (300 µmol/L) for severe gout, reached step by step with repeat tests.

Sources

• MedlinePlus: Uric acid blood test
• FitzGerald JD et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout
• Richette P et al. 2016 updated EULAR evidence-based recommendations for the management of gout (Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2017)
• StatPearls: Gout (NCBI Bookshelf)
• York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS: Urate reference interval (Pathology Harmonisation)

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to your rheumatologist or healthcare provider about your specific situation.