Patient/caregiver was educated on secondary hyperuricemia as follows:

Elevated uric acid levels in the blood is called hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia in the body can be due to the following reasons –

Secondary hyperuricemia

• Secondary hyperuricemia is due to increased levels of uric acid in the body, due to reasons other than increased protein consumption.
• This condition can be due various factors as follows:
• Dehydration:
  • Uric acid produced in the body is soluble in water, dissolved in body fluids, and is ultimately excreted in the urine.
  • Individuals low on fluids can have an issue with dissolving and excreting the uric acid produced.
  • This can result in progressively increased retention of uric acid in the body and secondary hyperuricemia.
• Obesity:
  • Overweight and obese individuals produce large amounts of insulin to meet the body requirements.
  • Excess of insulin is known to inhibit excretion of uric acid in the urine. This can result in progressively increased retention of uric acid in the body and secondary hyperuricemia.
• Diabetes:
  • Type-2 diabetic individuals present with resistance to insulin action and so, insulin secreted in their body can be poorly functional and not meeting the metabolic demands of the body.
  • To compensate for this deficit, pancreas gland in these individuals could secrete increasing amounts of insulin.
  • Excess of insulin is known to inhibit excretion of uric acid in the urine. This can result in progressively increased retention of uric acid in the body and secondary hyperuricemia.