Microalbumin/Creatinine Ratio
Microalbumin corrected for urine concentration, on a spot sample. The yearly kidney check every diabetic should have
Also known as UACR, ACR, Microalbumin creatinine ratio, Albumin creatinine ratio, Urine Albumin / Creatinine Ratio (UACR), Microalbumin Creatinine Ratio
₹430/-₹600/-28% offFree collection on orders above ₹500/-
- Reports within
- 8 hours
- Parameters included
- 03see list
- Sample
- Urine
- Fasting
- Not needed
- Measures
- Albumin leaking into urine, corrected for creatinine
- Identifies
- Early diabetic kidney damage, albuminuria
Collected at home
A trained phlebotomist visits at a time you pick, from the next hour
Sealed single-use kit
Opened in front of you, and carried to the lab under controlled conditions
Report within 8 hours
On WhatsApp and email, with any value outside the normal range highlighted
What is the UACR test?
The urine albumin / creatinine ratio (UACR) measures a small amount of albumin, a blood protein, leaking into your urine, and corrects it against creatinine so that a dilute or concentrated sample reads the same. It is done on a single spot urine sample, not a 24-hour collection.
Healthy kidneys keep almost all albumin in the blood. A ratio above 30 mg/g means the kidney filters are letting protein through, which is the earliest measurable sign of damage from diabetes or high blood pressure. It shows up years before blood creatinine rises, while treatment can still slow the damage. Your doctor reads it alongside blood creatinine and your blood pressure.
No fasting is needed. A phlebotomist brings a sealed container to your home, and the report reaches you on WhatsApp and email in 8 hours.
UACR parameters3 measured
Microalbumin (urine)
up to 20 mg/L
Tiny amounts of albumin leaking into the urine, the earliest warning of kidney damage from diabetes or high blood pressure, before routine tests change
Creatinine (urine)
20–370 mg/dL
Creatinine in the urine, used to correct other urine measurements for how dilute the sample is, higher in concentrated samples
Albumin / creatinine ratio
up to 30 mg/g
Divides urine albumin by creatinine to cancel out dilution, giving a reliable measure of early kidney leakage in diabetes and high blood pressure
Reference ranges are the lab's defaults for adults and are printed on the report beside every value
How to prepare
- No fasting is needed; collect the sample at any time, though a first-morning sample gives the steadiest reading.
- Avoid heavy exercise for 24 hours before, as it can push albumin into the urine temporarily.
- Do not collect during a period, a urine infection or a fever; these raise albumin and give a false result.
- Collect mid-stream urine in the sealed container the phlebotomist brings.
Who should take it
Anyone with type 2 diabetes, from the day of diagnosis, and anyone with type 1 diabetes for five years or more. People with high blood pressure, especially if it has been present for years or is hard to control. People with a family history of kidney failure, and anyone whose urine routine showed protein. Pregnant women with raised blood pressure. If your ratio was raised before, repeat it as your doctor advises, usually every 3 to 6 months while treatment is being adjusted.
Before the visit
Tell the phlebotomist if you have a fever, a urine infection or are menstruating, and tell your doctor about blood pressure tablets, NSAID painkillers and any recent heavy exercise, as all of these can change the ratio.
Why take the UACR test?
- Yearly diabetes check: Every person with diabetes should have a UACR once a year to catch kidney damage early.
- Blood pressure damage: Long-standing hypertension also leaks albumin, and the ratio shows whether the kidneys are affected.
- Earlier than creatinine: Albumin appears in urine years before blood creatinine rises, when treatment still works.
- Tracking treatment: Once raised, the ratio is repeated to see whether medicines and sugar control are protecting the kidneys.
Questions about the UACR test
What is the urine albumin creatinine ratio test used for?
It finds small amounts of albumin leaking into urine, the earliest sign of kidney damage from diabetes or high blood pressure. Catching it at this stage lets your doctor adjust treatment while the kidneys can still recover.
Do I need to fast for a UACR test?
No fasting is needed. Give the sample at any time, ideally the first urine of the morning. Avoid heavy exercise the day before, and wait if you have a fever, a urine infection or your period, since all of these raise albumin temporarily.
How is the urine sample collected at home?
A trained phlebotomist brings a sealed single-use container to your home. You pass a little urine first, then collect the middle part of the stream in the container and hand it back. It takes a couple of minutes and there is no needle.
What is the normal range for albumin creatinine ratio?
The report gives three values: microalbumin (normal below 20 mg/L), urine creatinine (20 to 370 mg/dL) and the ratio between them. The ratio is the number that matters, and it should be below 30 mg/g.
What does a high albumin creatinine ratio mean?
A ratio of 30 to 300 mg/g means moderately increased albumin, the early stage of diabetic or hypertensive kidney damage. Above 300 mg/g is heavier protein loss. Your doctor will repeat the test, check blood creatinine and blood pressure, and usually adjust medication.
Who should get a UACR test and how often?
Everyone with type 2 diabetes from diagnosis, everyone with type 1 diabetes after five years, and anyone with high blood pressure, once a year. If the ratio is raised, your doctor will usually repeat it every 3 to 6 months while treatment is adjusted.
How long does the UACR report take?
The report reaches you on WhatsApp and email in 8 hours from the time the phlebotomist collects the sample at your home. Book a morning slot and you will usually have it the same day.
Is one raised result enough to say I have kidney disease?
No. Albumin in urine varies from day to day, and exercise, fever or an infection can raise it on its own. Doctors need two out of three raised samples over 3 to 6 months before calling it persistent albuminuria.
Commonly tested together
Often on the same prescription
What happens after you book
- A phlebotomist is assigned and reaches you in your chosen slot, as soon as the next hour
- The sample is collected with a sealed single-use kit and moved on a cold chain
- The report lands on WhatsApp and email within 8 hours