Microalbumin Test

What is the microalbumin test?

This test measures the amount of a protein called microalbumin in your urine.

Why is this test done?

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' filters into the urine. Larger, important substances in your blood, such as proteins, normally cannot pass through the filters. As the kidneys get rid of waste products, they normally conserve important substances such as proteins.

When the kidneys are diseased or damaged, the larger substances can pass through the filters. When the kidneys become diseased and start allowing larger substances to pass through, microalbumin is among the first important substances to show up in the urine. For this reason, microalbumin is a good screening test for early kidney disease.

How do I prepare for this test?

No special preparation is needed for this test.

How is the test done?

A "random microalbumin" test measures the amount of microalbumin in 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 microalbumin 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.

How will I get the test result?

Ask your heath care provider when and how you will get the result of your test.

What does the test result mean?

When your kidneys are healthy, very little microalbumin is present in the urine. The level of microalbumin in your urine may be higher than normal because you have kidney disease or damage. The more microalbumin you have in your urine, the more severely damaged your kidneys are.

What if my test result is not normal?

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 doctor may order other tests to check your kidney function if the microalbumin is high. Talk to your health care provider about your result and ask questions.

If your test results is not normal, ask your health care provider:

• if you need additional tests
• what you can do to work toward a normal value
• when you need to be tested again.