A 40-year-old member asked:
can you tell me how is urates different from urea or uric acid?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Jack Rubin answered
Nephrology and Dialysis 48 years experience
Differences: Uric acid is an almost insoluble compound that is a breakdown product of nitrogenous metabolism. Urates are a salt or ester of uric acid. Urea is a colorless crystalline compound that is the main nitrogenous breakdown product of protein and is excreted in urine. I hope that satisfies your curiosity.
3972 viewsAnswered Jun 16, 2018
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Malaysia
A 23-year-old female asked:
What is the difference between urea and uric acid?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Bennett Werner answered
Cardiology 44 years experience
Sound alike but not: Although the names are similar, they're entirely different. Urea is a waste product in your urine. Uric acid is a metabolite of proteins and, when deposited in joints, is the cause of Gout.
2780 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
1 comment
Dr. Bennett Werner commented
Cardiology 44 years experience
Provided original answer
In my notifications, you've asked is urea useful for gout?-no, it's not. Serum uric acid has very limited meaning as well - the correlation is poor for diagnosis. But if you've had gout, you do want to lower your serum uric acid level. Uric acid crystals from joint fluid is the sine qua non for diagnosing gout.
May 24, 2015
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Last updated Jun 16, 2018
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