The microalbumin test can measure very small amounts of a protein called albumin in your urine.
The amount of water in urine varies and can affect the concentration of albumin. Another test to check the level of a substance called creatinine is usually done when the microalbumin test is done. (Creatinine is one of the waste chemicals in the blood that the kidney filters.) Then the ratio of albumin to creatinine is reported.
This test is done to check for early signs of kidney damage, especially if you have diabetes.
Your kidneys filter your blood. They remove waste material from the blood to produce urine. Normally, only very tiny substances can pass through the kidneys into the urine. Larger, important substances in your blood, such as proteins, usually cannot pass through the filters. As the kidneys get rid of waste products, they conserve important substances such as proteins.
When the kidneys are diseased or damaged, it’s easier for larger substances to pass into the urine. Albumin is one of the first important larger substances to show up in the urine. For this reason, the microalbumin test, which can measure even just a small amount of protein, is a good screening test for early kidney disease.
No special preparation is needed for this test.
A random microalbumin test measures the amount of albumin in a single sample of urine. You simply urinate into a cup given to you. A machine in the lab then tests the sample.
A total microalbumin test measures the total amount of albumin in all of the urine your body produces in 24 hours. For a total microalbumin test, you need to collect and save all of the urine you make in 24 hours.
Ask your health care provider when and how you will get the result of your test.
A normal result for the ratio of albumin to creatinine is usually less than 2.5 milligrams per millimole (mg/mmol) for men and 3.5 mg/mmol for women.
When your kidneys are healthy, very little albumin is present in the urine. The level of albumin in your urine may be higher than normal because you are developing kidney disease or damage. The more albumin you have in your urine, the more severely damaged your kidneys are.
Test results are only one part of a larger picture that takes into account your medical history and current health. Sometimes a test needs to be repeated to check the first result. Or your provider may order other tests to check your kidney function if the microalbumin is high. Talk to your provider about your result and ask what it means for you.
Sometimes you may have more albumin in your urine after strenuous exercise or dehydration. However, increased albumin in the urine is usually evidence of kidney disease. Common causes include diabetes, high blood pressure, and autoimmune disorders.
If your test result is not normal, ask your healthcare provider:
