Uric acid unit converter
Convert a serum uric acid result between µmol/L and mg/dL. Type into either field and the other updates — useful when your lab reports one unit and the guideline, forum or app you are reading uses the other.
Used in China, most of Europe, Australia
Used in the United States, Japan, Korea
Common values
Uric acid has a molar mass of 168.11 g/mol, so 1 µmol/L = 0.01681 mg/dL and 1 mg/dL = 59.48 µmol/L. Nothing is rounded until the result is displayed.
The conversion, and where it comes from
Uric acid results are reported two ways. µmol/L counts molecules per litre; mg/dL weighs them per decilitre. Converting between them needs one constant — the molar mass of uric acid, 168.11 g/mol:
- µmol/L → mg/dL: multiply by 0.01681 (or divide by 59.485)
- mg/dL → µmol/L: multiply by 59.485
Some sources quote 59.48, others 59.5 or 0.0168 — all are the same factor at different precision, and the difference is far smaller than the variation between two blood draws on consecutive days.
Guideline targets in both units
The reason most people convert a uric acid value is to compare it against a target published in the other unit. Here are the thresholds that come up most often, with the conversion done:
| Value | In mg/dL | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 300 µmol/L | 5.04 mg/dL | Tighter target in severe gout |
| 360 µmol/L | 6.05 mg/dL | Common urate-lowering target |
| 420 µmol/L | 7.06 mg/dL | Hyperuricaemia threshold |
Sources: ACR 2020, EULAR 2016 and the Chinese Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Hyperuricaemia and Gout (2019). These are population-level guideline values; your own target is set by your clinician. See the full level chart.
Quick reference: mg/dL to µmol/L
The values people search for most, converted once so you do not have to:
- 3 mg/dL = 178.5 µmol/L
- 4 mg/dL = 237.9 µmol/L
- 5 mg/dL = 297.4 µmol/L
- 6 mg/dL = 356.9 µmol/L
- 7 mg/dL = 416.4 µmol/L
- 8 mg/dL = 475.9 µmol/L
- 9 mg/dL = 535.4 µmol/L
- 10 mg/dL = 594.8 µmol/L
One number is not a trend
Converting a reading is the easy part. The harder problem is that a single value tells you very little: uric acid moves with hydration, recent meals, medication changes and, awkwardly, often drops during an acute flare — the moment people are most likely to get tested. What is informative is the same measurement repeated over months, on the same unit, alongside what changed in between.
That is the whole reason Breeze exists. It stores every reading in µmol/L internally and displays whichever unit you prefer, so switching units never rewrites your history, and the trend line stays comparable across years.
Reference information only. Purine values describe foods, not people: they cannot tell you what is safe for you to eat, and nothing here diagnoses or treats gout. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about your own diet and medication.
Common questions
How do you convert uric acid from µmol/L to mg/dL?
Multiply by 0.016811, or equivalently divide by 59.485. The factor comes from the molar mass of uric acid, 168.11 g/mol: 1 µmol/L equals 168.11 ÷ 10,000 mg/dL. So 360 µmol/L is 6.05 mg/dL, and 420 µmol/L is 7.06 mg/dL.
How do you convert mg/dL to µmol/L?
Multiply by 59.485. For example 6 mg/dL is 356.9 µmol/L, 7 mg/dL is 416.4 µmol/L, and 9 mg/dL is 535.4 µmol/L. This is the reverse of the µmol/L conversion and uses the same molar mass of 168.11 g/mol.
Why do labs report uric acid in different units?
µmol/L is the SI unit, used in China, most of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. mg/dL is a conventional mass-per-volume unit still standard in the United States, Japan and Korea. Neither is more accurate — they describe the same quantity on different scales, which is why guidelines usually quote both, as in 'below 360 µmol/L (6 mg/dL)'.
Is 6 mg/dL the same as 360 µmol/L?
Almost, and the difference rarely matters clinically. 6 mg/dL is 356.9 µmol/L and 360 µmol/L is 6.05 mg/dL. Guidelines round to whichever number is tidier in the unit they use, so the same target appears as '6 mg/dL' in American documents and '360 µmol/L' in Chinese and European ones.
Does the conversion differ for men and women, or by age?
No. The conversion is pure arithmetic based on the molar mass of uric acid and is identical for everyone. What does differ by sex is the laboratory reference range a result is compared against — but that comparison happens after the conversion, not during it.