Microalbumin Creatinine Ratio
Reviewed
Also called: microalbumin creatinine ratio, albumin-creatinine ratio, urine albumin, microalbumin urine, ACR, UACR
A microalbumin creatinine ratio urine test checks the levels of the protein albumin in your urine (pee).
Specimen: Urine
Why this test may be ordered
- To screen for early signs of kidney disease in people with diabetes, high blood pressure, family history of kidney disease, heart disease, or other risk factors.
- To monitor kidney function in individuals already diagnosed with kidney disease.
- To evaluate how well treatment for kidney disease is working.
Preparation and collection
Hard exercise may increase the amount of albumin in your urine for a short time. Meat can affect your creatine levels, so you may be asked not to eat any for a day before your test. Check with your provider about how to prepare for your test. Be sure to ask if any medicines or supplements you take could affect your results.
A "random" or "spot" urine sample means that you collect a single urine sample at any time of the day. A 24-hour urine sample requires you to collect all your urine over a 24-hour period. A 24-hour urine test is the most accurate way to measure albumin in urine.
There is no known risk to providing a urine sample for a microalbumin creatinine ratio test.
Understanding results
If your microalbumin creatinine ratio shows an abnormal amount of albumin in your urine, you will likely need more tests to confirm your results. That's because temporary increases in albumin levels may be caused by exercise, certain medicines, fever, and inflammation in the body.
- Abnormal albumin on two of three tests: If two out of three tests show abnormal levels of albumin in your urine, you may have early-stage kidney disease. Limitation: Smaller amounts of albumin in your urine don't always mean you have kidney disease. Next step: If you have an abnormal result, your provider will usually order other kidney tests, including a blood test called an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) test.
- Higher or increasing albumin: Higher or increasing amounts of albumin in your urine usually mean you have: More serious kidney disease that's likely to get worse faster. Limitation: Your test results may also be affected by your muscle density and your diet, age, and race. Next step: If you have higher-than-normal amounts of albumin in your urine, you may need to be tested more often.
- Temporary increases in albumin can occur due to intense exercise, fever, certain medicines, or inflammation, which may cause false-positive results.
- A single abnormal result is not diagnostic; two out of three tests over 3–6 months are needed to suggest early-stage kidney disease.
- Smaller amounts of albumin do not always rule out kidney disease, and results can be affected by muscle density, diet, age, and race.
What to do next
Talk with your provider about what your test results mean. If you're diagnosed with early kidney disease, there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of albumin in your urine and protect your health.
- What is the purpose of this test for me?
- How should I prepare for the urine collection?
- What do my results mean in the context of my health and risk factors?
- Will I need follow-up tests?
Evidence source
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Practices and reference ranges may differ in your country.
U.S. National Library of Medicine: Microalbumin Creatinine Ratio