What Do Elevated Microalbumin and Creatinine Levels in Urine Mean?
High levels of microalbumin in urine may indicate kidney disease, but it may also be caused by medications, urinary tract infection and fever, according to Mayo Clinic. High levels of creatinine in a urine clearance test may indicate kidney disease, pregnancy, hypothyroidism or carbon monoxide poisoning, according to WebMD.
It is important to note the difference between the creatinine blood and creatinine urine clearance tests, as high creatinine blood test results and high creatinine urine results may indicate different medical conditions, according to WebMD. The creatinine urine clearance test is normally done to test kidney function. Creatinine is a waste product that travels to the kidneys through blood. It is then removed from the body in urine.
Microalbumin tests are done to detect early kidney damage for people who are at a high risk for kidney disease, such as people with diabetes or high blood pressure, according to Mayo Clinic. Microalbumin is a blood protein that is found in the urine, and it is one of the first signs of kidney damage. Health kidneys eliminate waste and keep good proteins such as albumin. When a person has kidney damage, small amounts of albumin leak through the kidneys into the urine.
