Gout diagnosis can also be conducted by blood tests. This method involves the determination of the level of uric acid in the blood with high levels associated with gout. Nonetheless, this method is sometimes misleading because there have been reports in which high uric levels have been reported but the persons are not suffering from gout.
Similarly, there are people suffering from gout but with normal uric acid levels. In addition to the blood tests for uric acid levels, other tests are done on the blood including ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), electrolytes, white blood cell count, and renal function. Just like the case of high uric levels, there are instances in which each of the above counts are abnormal but no signs of gout (Terkeltaub, 2010).