Platform
Company
Kidney Function
Review status
Currently under review
Pending specialist review and validation.
The 24-hour urine microalbumin test measures the amount of albumin, a blood protein, that is lost into your urine over a full day. Albumin can appear in urine when the tiny kidney filters are stressed or damaged.
Collecting all urine over 24 hours provides an average of albumin loss across your daily activities, which can be useful when spot urine tests are less clear or when your clinician needs a more complete picture.
Finding albumin in urine at low levels can be an early sign of kidney damage, often before changes are seen on blood tests. This test is commonly ordered if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or blood vessel disease, or a family history of kidney problems.
It helps your care team detect changes early, tailor treatment, and monitor how well therapies are protecting your kidneys over time.
Your result is interpreted alongside your medical history, medications, and how complete the 24-hour collection was. Higher values suggest greater albumin leakage and may indicate kidney stress or damage, while lower values are more consistent with healthier filtration.
Because temporary factors can raise albumin in urine, your clinician may repeat the test or confirm with another method before making long-term decisions. If results point to kidney involvement, you may be advised on steps such as blood pressure and glucose management, medication adjustments, or urinary testing at intervals to track trends.
Reference intervals vary by laboratory, analyzer, methodology, population, and units. The ranges shown here are for education only. Always interpret your results against the reference interval printed on your own lab report.
Missing any urine during the 24-hour period or collecting for too long or too short a time can distort the result. Start by discarding the first void, then collect all urine for the next 24 hours, and include the final void at the end time.
Strenuous activity within the day before or during the collection can temporarily increase urine albumin. Unless told otherwise, avoid heavy exercise during the collection period.
Fever, urinary tract infections, and acute illness can raise urine albumin for a short time. Testing is often postponed until you recover to avoid a misleading elevation.
Very high protein intake and dehydration can influence urine albumin excretion. Follow your usual diet and maintain normal fluid intake unless your clinician gives specific instructions.
Drugs that affect kidney filtration can change albumin in urine. Examples include ACE inhibitors, ARBs, SGLT2 inhibitors, NSAIDs, and certain diuretics. Tell your clinician about all medicines and supplements you take.
Some people, especially younger individuals, can have posture-related albuminuria that increases when upright and decreases when lying down. A 24-hour collection averages these changes but timing still matters.
Blood or semen in the urine sample can falsely elevate protein measurements. Avoid collecting during menstruation and follow collection instructions carefully.
Pregnancy, childhood, and certain chronic conditions can alter albumin excretion patterns. Your clinician will interpret results in the context of age, pregnancy status, and overall health.
References