High Blood Pressure or Diabetes? – The Microalbumin Urine Test
A Microalbumin urine test is used to detect very small amounts of albumin in urine. Albumin is a blood protein and is used to detect early signs of kidney damage. This test is typically ordered by those that have chronic conditions that can adversely affect the kidneys: diabetics (both Type 1 and Type 2) and those with high blood pressure.
When kidneys are functioning properly, they will filter the waste from your blood. Albumin is present in the blood and there is virtually no albumin present in urine. If the kidneys stop functioning correctly due to disease, they lose their ability to filter properly and albumin will appear in the urine. Having albumin protein in the urine reflects increasing kidney failure due to poor filtering capability and you should immediately discuss this with your physician.
Having albumin in the urine indicates issues with the kidney, but research shows that people are also at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
The National Kidney Foundation recommends that the microalbumin urine test should be taken each year for diabetics between the ages 12 and 70. Additionally, the American Diabetes association advises that this test should be conducted annually for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Kidneys – Your Body’s Filter
When kidneys are functioning properly, they will filter the waste from your blood. Albumin is present in the blood and there is virtually no albumin present in urine. If the kidneys stop functioning correctly due to disease, they lose their ability to filter properly and albumin will appear in the urine. Having albumin protein in the urine reflects increasing kidney failure due to poor filtering capability and you should immediately discuss this with your physician.
Having albumin in the urine indicates issues with the kidney, but research shows that people are also at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
The National Kidney Foundation recommends that the microalbumin urine test should be taken each year for diabetics between the ages 12 and 70. Additionally, the American Diabetes association advises that this test should be conducted annually for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
If any amounts of albumin are discovered in the urine:
- contact your physician
- re-test to verify detection of albumin
- The Hemoglobin A1c test tests for long term glucose levels. Molecules of glucose (sugar) in the blood bind to this fraction of hemoglobin, and stay bound to it for months. The higher the amount of blood glucose, the higher the amount of hemoglobin A1c, and according to its value, one can obtain the average blood sugar during the previous 8 to 12 weeks. The test indicates how well your diabetes has been controlled in the 2 to 3 months before the test. Information gained from this test can help determine whether your diabetes medication needs to be adjusted. It can also help your health professional estimate your risk of developing complications from diabetes, such as kidney failure, vision problems, and leg or foot numbness. The A1c level is directly related to complications from diabetes: the lower your A1c level, the lower your risk for complications.
- Microalbumin, Random Urine A microalbumin test checks urine for the presence of a protein called albumin. Albumin is normally found in the blood and filtered by the kidneys. When the kidneys are working properly, albumin is not present in the urine. But when the kidneys are damaged, small amounts of albumin leak into the urine. This condition is called microalbuminuria.
- The Comprehensive Health Profile has been our most ordered lab test for 30 years. The profile screens for cardiovascular risk, major organ function, anemia, diabetes, infection, blood disease, and other indications of illness. This is the blood test routinely ordered as part of an annual physical exam and it includes the components of a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel.