Potential Renal Acid Load

Report explaining calculation and acceptability of Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) as an estimate of the alkalizing and acidifying effects of food items. Includes the recommendation that zero PRAL will reduce the risk of uric acid kidney stones forming.

For more information about PRAL for gout sufferers, please see my Potential Renal Acid Load page in the Gout Diet Section.

Title:

Dietary potential renal acid load and renal net acid excretion in healthy, free-living children and adolescents.

Authors:

Remer T, Dimitriou T, Manz F.

Published:

Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 May;77(5):1255-60.

Leave this PRAL report to read the Potential Renal Acid Load page in the Gout Diet Section

Diagram showing how, even though an acute flare might not be happening, uric acid crystals induce cellular changes that lead to permanent cartilage and bone damage.

Leave this page to browse the uric acid crystals in the Understanding Uric Acid Section

Overview of high uric acid leading to urate crystal deposits. Many factors can enhance or inhibit the formation of crystals, which is why high uric acid may not manifest itself as gout immediately.

Leave this page to browse the uric acid crystals in the Understanding Uric Acid Section

Uric Acid Crystals: X-ray, Ultrasound, MRI, & CT

A review of techniques available to see uric acid crystals in the body. Different techniques are useful for different aspects of assessing gout symptoms and diagnosing gouty arthritis.

Title:

Imaging of gout: findings and utility.

Authors:

Perez-Ruiz F, Dalbeth N, Urresola A, de Miguel E, Schlesinger N.

Published:

Arthritis Res Ther. 2009;11(3):232. Epub 2009 Jun 17.

Leave this page to browse the uric acid crystals in the Understanding Uric Acid Section

Uric Acid And Back Pain

Title:

Erosive spinal tophus in a patient with gout and back pain.

Published:

Bull NYU Hosp Jt Dis. 2010;68(2):147-8.

Authors:

Samuels J, Keenan RT, Yu R, Pillinger MH, Bescke T.

A severe case of tophaceous gout from uric acid crystals in the back. Though the patient could hardly stand upright from this pain in the back, he responded well to allopurinol.

Gout pain can attack any joint, from uric acid crystals that usually start at the extremities, but often spread to most joints. You can read more about different joints affected in the Gout Symptoms Section.

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Photographs of MRI scans showing uric acid crystals deposited as gouty tophi growing in the spinal joints.

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Chart of the number of months taken for uric acid crystals to dissolve after starting urate lowering treatment. 18 gout sufferers took between 3 and 33 months for all uric acid crystals to disappear from synovial fluid samples.

Used to illustrate the article describing the time taken for uric acid crystals to dissolve.

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