urine albumin / creatinine ratio (uacr)
Kidney FunctionUrine sampleResults 24 hrsNo fasting
Urine Albumin / Creatinine Ratio (UACR)
The Urine Albumin/Creatinine Ratio (UACR) checks for small amounts of albumin protein in your urine, an early sign of kidney stress. It's especially useful for people with diabetes or high blood pressure.
Sample
Urine
Results
24 hrs
Fasting
Not required
Follow-up
Optional add-on
What this test detects
Urine albumin
Immunoturbidimetry · urine
Quantitative · mg/L
Urine creatinine
Kinetic spectrophotometry · urine
Quantitative · mg/dL
Albumin/creatinine ratio
Calculated
Quantitative · mg/g
When to get this test
Early kidney damage
Detects small amounts of albumin in urine, an early warning sign of kidney stress before other tests change.
Diabetes monitoring
Recommended for people with diabetes to screen for kidney complications.
High blood pressure
Helps monitor kidney health in people with hypertension.
How to prepare
01
Provide a clean, random (spot) urine sample.
02
No fasting needed.
Common questions
Why test urine instead of blood for kidneys?
Small amounts of albumin leaking into urine can be one of the earliest signs of kidney damage, sometimes before blood tests change. UACR catches this early.
How is the ratio calculated?
The amount of albumin is compared to creatinine in the same urine sample. Using a ratio corrects for how concentrated or dilute the urine is, making a random sample reliable.