The Uric Acid to HDL-Cholesterol Ratio (UHR) reflects how well your body balances oxidative stress, lipid metabolism and inflammation. It is calculated as (Uric Acid ÷ HDL-Cholesterol) × 100. Lower values, typically below 9–10 per cent, are linked with better metabolic stability, while higher ratios can indicate increased oxidative load or reduced lipid efficiency.
Tracking your UHR shows how nutrition, exercise, hydration and recovery habits influence your metabolic balance. Because both markers shift with lifestyle changes, monitoring this ratio offers an early and practical way to support long-term energy, resilience and overall wellbeing.
UHR is available in Vively's Metabolic Essentials Test. Book your blood test now for only $199 per test.
UHR is the value you obtain when you divide your blood uric acid concentration (in mg/dL) by your HDL-cholesterol (in mg/dL), then multiply by 100 to express as a percentage. It integrates two related but distinct measurements—one representing purine turnover/oxidative stress (UA), the other reflecting lipid transport and protective cholesterol function (HDL-C).
Why does UHR matter for long-term health and wellbeing?
While this isn’t a test for diagnosing disease, UHR offers insight into underlying processes of metabolic and inflammatory stress. A higher UHR suggests that uric acid is relatively elevated and/or HDL-C is relatively low, which may reflect patterns of oxidative damage, endothelial (blood-vessel lining) stress, insulin resistance and fat-metabolism strain. Several recent studies show that UHR correlates with metabolic-syndrome features, fatty-liver indicators, and elevated mortality in broad populations.
From a performance and longevity mindset: keeping UHR at the lower end supports your body’s ability to recover, manage energy effectively, maintain vascular vitality and promote robust metabolic flexibility.
What’s an optimal level of UHR?
As of now, no universally agreed “gold-standard” optimal range exists for UHR in the general (Australian) healthy population. However, here’s a summary of current evidence and practical guiding ranges:
* These are guidance only, not clinical thresholds. Always consider your full profile and context.
What influences UHR levels?
Key levers for UHR include:
Uric acid-raising factors: high purine or fructose intake, low hydration, excess alcohol, rapid cell turnover, and compromised renal excretion.
HDL-C-lowering factors: sedentary lifestyle, excess body fat (particularly visceral fat), low-quality fats in diet, smoking, poor sleep, and chronic stress.
Combined metabolic stress: insulin resistance, excess visceral fat, inflammation and oxidative load may elevate UA, reduce HDL-C and raise the ratio. Research shows UHR correlates with markers of fat accumulation and insulin resistance.
What does it mean if UHR is outside the optimal range?
If your UHR is trending higher than your earlier readings or above the guidance target (e.g., ~10 % or more), it suggests that your metabolic-inflammatory balance may be under strain. It might indicate that your uric acid load is relatively high and/or your HDL-C buffering capacity is reduced.
From a proactive-health vantage point this is a “signal” to review your habits (nutrition, recovery, movement, hydration, alcohol intake) rather than a diagnostic alert. The key is tracking changes over time and using the ratio as a feedback loop for lifestyle optimisation.
How can I support healthy UHR levels?
Here are practical lifestyle strategies aligned with Vively’s performance and longevity-oriented approach:
Maintain a diet rich in whole, minimally processed foods, emphasising plant fibre, moderate quality proteins and limiting high-fructose/sugar-sweetened and highly-processed foods (which can raise UA).
Stay well hydrated and moderate alcohol intake.
Increase regular physical activity—including strength training and cardiovascular work—to support HDL-C levels and metabolic flexibility.
Focus on healthy body composition and keep visceral fat in check via motion, nutrition and recovery.
Prioritise sleep quality and stress management: chronic poor sleep and stress may lower HDL-C and increase oxidative load.
Consider regular monitoring of your UA and HDL-C (and thus UHR) so that you can see how changes in lifestyle affect the ratio over time.
This information is provided for general health and wellness purposes only and does not replace medical advice.
References
Ahari, R.K., Sahranavard, T., Mansoori, A., Fallahi, Z., Babaeepoor, N., Ferns, G., et al. (2023). Serum uric acid to high-density lipoprotein ratio as a novel inflammatory and metabolic marker. PMC.
Lai, X., Chen, T. (2024). Association of serum uric acid to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with diabetes or prediabetes: a prospective cohort study. Front Endocrinol.
Bazmandegan, G., et al. (2024). Uric acid to HDL ratio: A marker for predicting incidence of metabolic syndrome in patients with type II diabetes. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis.
Li, Z., Liu, Q., Yao, Z. (2024). The serum uric acid-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio is a predictor for all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality: a cross-sectional study. Front Endocrinol.
Huang, X., Hu, L., Li, J., et al. (2024). U-shaped association of uric acid to HDL cholesterol ratio (UHR) with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in diabetic patients: NHANES 1999–2018. BMC Cardiovasc Disord.
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