Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure in the United States. When you have diabetes, your blood sugar (or glucose) levels are too high.
Over time, the excess blood sugar can damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys. It becomes more difficult for the kidneys to filter blood. In addition, diabetes can damage the nerves, which can lead to kidney damage.
When should I get this test?
When to get this test?
Your doctor may recommend this test if you have:
- Type 1 diabetes.
- Type 1 diabetes. Testing is needed once a year, starting in the fifth year of disease.
- Type I diabetes.
- Type II diabetes. Testing is required once a year once the disease is detected.
- Hypertension.
- High blood pressure. Your doctor will tell you exactly how often to get tested.
Testing may also be needed if there is:
- Age 65 or older.
- Belong to an ethnic group at high risk for kidney disease, including African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and American Indians.
- Any family member has or has a prior history of kidney disease.
In these cases, ask your doctor when the test should be performed and how often it should be performed.
What does the test include?
To check for albumin, you need to provide a urine sample. Your doctor may ask for the following: a random sample or a timed sample.
- Random testing. A visit to an outpatient clinic is required for testing. The patient will usually be told how to drain the urine into a urine cup. The doctor will most likely order laboratory tests to measure creatinine and albumin. Creatinine is a normal waste product in the urine. Measuring creatinine and albumin at the same time helps to give a clearer picture of the body’s condition.
- Timed testing. The doctor will give a container into which the patient will need to drain urine over a period of time. The test may take only a few hours or it may take up to 24 hours. The doctor will tell you how to safely collect the sample and then send it to the lab.
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The results are usually available within 24 to 72 hours, depending on the lab that performs the test.
How do I interpret the test results?
The results of the test may vary from laboratory to laboratory.
Tests may vary from lab to lab. In addition, all individuals are not identical, so what is normal for someone else may be abnormal for you. The values of the test results are for reference only, and your doctor will help interpret what they mean.
Random urinalysis
An albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) result may be obtained. This ratio is only a number and is a comparison of the amount of albumin and creatinine in the urine.
For this test, albumin is measured in micrograms (μg) and creatinine is measured in milligrams (mg) (1000 μg equals 1 mg).
A normal ACR is less than 30 micrograms of albumin for every 1 mg of creatinine. A number higher than 30 may be a sign of kidney damage.
Timed urinalysis
Results are most likely to be in milligrams of albumin. For example, less than 30 mg of albumin in a 24-hour test is a normal result, and more than 30 mg may indicate a kidney problem.
Follow-up testing
If there is albumin in the urine, the amount of albumin may vary at different times of the day, making it difficult to obtain an accurate test result. In addition, the following conditions may lead to results above the normal range:
- hematuria;
- fever;
- Extensive exercise prior to testing;
- Other kidney disease;
- Some medications;
- Urinary tract infection.
The doctor may repeat the test if the result is higher than normal.
Multiple tests may be performed over the next 3 to 6 months. If two of the three tests are equally above normal, there may be early kidney disease. If the results are significantly above the normal range, this may indicate a more serious problem.
The doctor will interpret exactly what the results mean and advise what next steps can be taken.