Gout · Self-tracking tool
Gout is caused by too much urate in the blood. The aim of urate-lowering treatment is to bring your urate level down and keep it there, which over time dissolves the crystals in your joints and stops flares from coming back. This tool lets you record your blood urate results and see them against the usual target, and keep a simple diary of your flares to bring to your appointment.
Enter your blood urate result each time you have it checked. In Canada this is usually reported in micromoles per litre (umol/L). The usual target is below 360.
Record each flare so you and your team can see how often they happen and whether they are settling as your urate comes down.
For most people on urate-lowering treatment, the recommended aim is a blood urate below 360 umol/L (this is the same as below 6 mg/dL, the unit used in some other countries). Keeping the level below target over the long term is what gradually clears the urate crystals and prevents flares. Your team may set a different target for you, and they may keep treating for a while even after you feel well, so the crystals have time to dissolve. A single reading is one data point for that conversation, not a decision on its own.
Serum urate target from: FitzGerald JD, Dalbeth N, Mikuls T, et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout. Arthritis Care Res. 2020;72:744 to 760 (strong recommendation for a treat-to-target strategy to a serum urate target below 6 mg/dL).