Uric acid (urate)

What this test is

Uric acid is a blood test. It mainly helps diagnose gout, a type of joint swelling. It is also used to check kidney stone risk in some people. It can help monitor certain cancer treatments too. A high uric acid level, on its own, is common. Without joint pain or another reason, it does not mean you have or will get gout. Because of that, checking uric acid in a routine yearly panel is not usually helpful. If you have joint pain, a physical exam works best. Fluid from the joint can help too. These tell us more than a blood test alone.