Question

Verproduction of uric acid in the body can be an indication of cell breakdown. This may be an advance indication of illness such as gout, leukemia, or lymphoma. Over a period of months, an adult male patient has taken thirteen blood tests for uric acid. The mean concentration was x = 5.39 mg/dl. The distribution of uric acid in healthy adult males can be assumed to be normal, with σ = 1.83 mg/dl. What is the standard deviation of the distribution of uric acid in healthy adult males?

Answer 1

The standard deviation of the distribution of uric acid in healthy adult males is 1.83 mg/dl, which is critical for diagnosing conditions like gout, leukemia, and other diseases related to high cell turnover.

Step-by-step explanation:

The standard deviation of the distribution of uric acid in healthy adult males is given directly in the question. It is stated that for healthy adult males, the distribution of uric acid can be assumed to be normal, with σ = 1.83 mg/dl. Therefore, the standard deviation for the distribution of uric acid in healthy adult males is 1.83 mg/dl.

Uric acid plays a significant role as an aid to diagnosis for various conditions. In the human body, it is a product of the metabolic breakdown of purine nucleotides, and its level in the blood is an important indicator of metabolic health. Excessive levels of uric acid in the blood can lead to gout, which is the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints, causing pain and inflammation. Other diseases that may cause high uric acid levels include leukemia, lymphoma, and conditions associated with high cell turnover.

Methods of estimation of blood uric acid levels include the Phosphotungstic acid method, Fehling's method, and use of Autoanalyzers. Managing the levels of uric acid can involve dietary choices to reduce the intake of purine-rich foods and the use of drugs like allopurinol to inhibit the enzyme xanthine oxidase, which is involved in the production of uric acid.