Microalbumin Creatinine Ratio

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Microalbumin Creatinine Ratio

Description

Albumin is a protein that produced in the liver. It is present in high levels in the blood, but when the kidneys are functioning properly, virtually no albumin is present in the urine.

If the kidneys become damaged they begin to lose their ability to filter proteins out of the urine. This is frequently seen in chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, with increasing amounts of protein in the urine reflecting increasing kidney failure.
Albumin molecule is small.  For this reason it is one of the first proteins to be detected in the urine with kidney damage. Patients who have consistently detectible amounts of albumin in their urine (microalbuminuria) have risk of developing progressive kidney failure and cardiovascular disease.
When a creatinine measurement is performed together with a random microalbumin, the resulting microalbumin/creatinine ratio approaches the accuracy of the 24-hour microalbumin test without the extended collection hassle.
This test is ordered as a screening test on patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, that put them at an increased risk of developing kidney failure.
Patients with chronic hypertension may be tested at regular intervals.
Its concentration is measured by means of a random urine analysis, along with a creatinine test.

Purpose of the test

To obtain albumin concentration in order to screen a possible kidney disorder in the very first stage.

Microalbumin test is an early indicator of kidney failure. It measures the small amounts of albumin that the body begins to release into the urine years before significant kidney damage.

Reference range values

0.0 – 16.9  mg/g

Abnormal findings

High microalbumin levels in urine indicate that a person is in an early phase of developing kidney disease.

Very high levels are an indication of severe kidney disease.