Albumin 24 Hour Urine With Creatinine Biomarker Testing
It measures how much albumin you lose in urine over 24 hours, adjusted with creatinine, to assess kidney damage risk—order with Vitals Vault via Quest.
With Vitals Vault, you have access to a comprehensive range of biomarker tests.
This test estimates how much albumin (a blood protein) leaks into your urine over a full day, and it pairs that number with urine creatinine to help judge whether the collection was complete.
Because albumin is usually kept in your bloodstream, higher urine albumin can be an early sign that your kidney filters are under stress or damaged, even when you feel fine.
A 24-hour collection is more work than a single “spot” urine sample, but it can be useful when your clinician wants a more complete picture of daily albumin loss or wants to confirm an abnormal screening result.
Do I need a Albumin 24 Hour Urine With Creatinine test?
You may benefit from this test if you have risk factors for chronic kidney disease, especially diabetes, high blood pressure, a history of preeclampsia, known kidney disease, or a strong family history of kidney problems. It can also be helpful if you have swelling in your legs or around your eyes, foamy urine, or unexplained fatigue, since those can sometimes go along with protein loss in urine.
This test is often ordered when a screening urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) is elevated and your clinician wants confirmation, or when results have been inconsistent and a timed collection could clarify what is happening. It may also be used to monitor kidney protection strategies, such as blood pressure control or diabetes management, over time.
If you are acutely ill, dehydrated, or you recently did very intense exercise, your urine albumin can temporarily rise. In those situations, your clinician may recommend waiting and repeating testing when you are back to your baseline.
Your result is one piece of your kidney health picture and is best interpreted alongside other labs and your medical history. It can support clinician-directed care planning, but it is not a standalone diagnosis.
This is a CLIA-laboratory urine assay; results should be interpreted by a qualified clinician and are not a diagnosis on their own.
Lab testing
Order labs to measure Albumin (24-Hour Urine Collection)
from $43.99 at Quest Diagnostics
About 1 week
Schedule online — results typically within a week
Clear next steps
Guidance included, with follow-up care available
HSA / FSA
Eligible for pre-tax health spending accounts
Get this test with Vitals Vault
Vitals Vault lets you order an Albumin 24 Hour Urine With Creatinine test directly, so you can confirm a screening result, establish a baseline, or track change over time without waiting for a separate lab order.
After you order, you’ll receive instructions for a 24-hour urine collection. Because collection quality matters, you can use PocketMD to review how to collect the sample correctly and what to do if you miss a void, spill some urine, or have questions about timing.
When results are back, PocketMD can help you put them into context and generate a focused set of follow-up questions for your clinician, including whether you should add companion tests like eGFR (creatinine-based kidney function), uACR, or a urinalysis.
If your result is abnormal, Vitals Vault makes it easy to reorder for a repeat measurement at an appropriate interval so you can confirm whether the pattern persists.
- Order online and use a national lab network for processing
- PocketMD guidance for collection steps and result context
- Easy retesting to confirm trends over time
Key benefits of Albumin 24 Hour Urine With Creatinine testing
- Helps detect early kidney filter stress before symptoms appear.
- Quantifies total daily albumin loss, which can clarify borderline or variable spot results.
- Uses urine creatinine to help assess whether the 24-hour collection was likely complete.
- Supports risk stratification in diabetes and hypertension when paired with eGFR and blood pressure data.
- Helps monitor response to kidney-protective treatment plans over time.
- Can distinguish persistent albuminuria from temporary elevations due to illness, exercise, or dehydration when repeated appropriately.
- Gives you a concrete baseline you can review with PocketMD and your clinician to plan next steps.
What is Albumin 24 Hour Urine With Creatinine?
Albumin is the most abundant protein in your blood. Healthy kidneys keep albumin in the bloodstream while filtering waste into urine. When the kidney’s filtering barrier is irritated or damaged, albumin can leak into urine (albuminuria).
A 24-hour urine albumin test measures the total amount of albumin you excrete across an entire day. The “with creatinine” part adds a urine creatinine measurement from the same 24-hour collection. Creatinine is a breakdown product from muscle that is released at a fairly steady rate. In a timed urine collection, creatinine helps your clinician judge whether the collection volume and timing make sense, because an incomplete collection can falsely lower the reported 24-hour albumin.
You may see results reported as total albumin per 24 hours (for example, mg/24 h) and sometimes as an albumin excretion rate (for example, µg/min). Some reports also provide total urine volume and total creatinine excretion for the collection.
How this differs from a spot urine uACR
A spot urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) uses a single urine sample and reports albumin relative to creatinine concentration in that sample. It is convenient and widely used for screening. A 24-hour collection is more burdensome, but it can be useful when your clinician wants a direct estimate of total daily albumin loss or needs confirmation when spot results are borderline, inconsistent, or affected by hydration.
Why albumin in urine matters
Persistent albuminuria is associated with higher risk of chronic kidney disease progression and cardiovascular disease. Even modest elevations can be meaningful in the right context, especially if you also have diabetes, high blood pressure, or reduced eGFR.
What “with creatinine” adds
Creatinine in the 24-hour urine collection is mainly a quality check. If the creatinine excretion is unexpectedly low or high for you, it can suggest the collection was incomplete or not timed correctly, which can change how confident you can be in the albumin result.
What do my Albumin 24 Hour Urine With Creatinine results mean?
Low urine albumin (or none detected)
A low or undetectable 24-hour urine albumin result usually means your kidneys are keeping albumin in the bloodstream as expected. If you are testing because of diabetes or high blood pressure, a low result is reassuring, but it does not replace routine monitoring recommended by your clinician. If the report also shows unusually low 24-hour urine creatinine, ask whether the collection might have been incomplete, because that can make albumin look lower than it truly is.
In-range urine albumin
An in-range result suggests you are not currently losing an abnormal amount of albumin in urine over the day. In many labs, values under about 30 mg per 24 hours are considered normal, but your lab’s reference interval and your clinical context matter. If you are at higher risk for kidney disease, your clinician may still recommend periodic rechecks, because albuminuria can develop over time.
High urine albumin (albuminuria)
A high 24-hour urine albumin result means more albumin is leaking through the kidney filters than expected. Mild elevations can be an early warning sign, while higher levels can indicate more significant kidney damage or inflammation. Because albumin can rise temporarily, clinicians often confirm persistence with repeat testing (often over weeks to a few months) and interpret it alongside blood pressure, eGFR/serum creatinine, urinalysis findings, and diabetes control if applicable.
Factors that influence 24-hour urine albumin and creatinine
Collection quality is a major factor: missing urine during the 24-hour window can falsely lower albumin and creatinine totals, while collecting longer than 24 hours can raise totals. Temporary albumin increases can happen with fever, urinary tract infection, heavy exercise, dehydration, uncontrolled blood pressure, high blood sugar, or heart failure flares. Pregnancy, menstruation, and visible blood in urine can also affect interpretation. Some medications can change kidney hemodynamics or protein leakage, so it helps to review your medication list with your clinician when you interpret results.
What’s included
- Albumin, 24 Hour Urine
- Creatinine, 24 Hour Urine
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do a 24-hour urine collection for albumin?
You typically start by emptying your bladder and not saving that first urine, then you collect all urine for the next 24 hours into the provided container, including the final urine at the 24-hour mark. Keep the container stored as instructed (often refrigerated or in a cool place). If you miss a collection or spill a meaningful amount, tell the lab or your clinician, because the result may not be reliable.
Do I need to fast for an Albumin 24 Hour Urine With Creatinine test?
Fasting is usually not required for a urine albumin/creatinine 24-hour collection. However, your clinician may give specific instructions if you are also doing blood tests the same day. Avoid unusually intense exercise right before and during the collection unless your clinician tells you otherwise, because it can temporarily raise urine albumin.
What is a normal 24-hour urine albumin level?
Many laboratories consider less than about 30 mg of albumin per 24 hours to be normal, but reference ranges can vary by lab and reporting units. Your clinician will interpret your value in context, including your blood pressure, diabetes status, and kidney function tests such as eGFR.
What’s the difference between 24-hour urine albumin and a spot uACR test?
A spot uACR uses a single urine sample and reports albumin relative to creatinine concentration, which makes it convenient for screening. A 24-hour urine albumin test estimates total daily albumin loss and includes 24-hour urine creatinine to help judge collection completeness. Your clinician may use the 24-hour test to confirm or clarify a spot result.
Can a UTI or exercise cause high urine albumin?
Yes. Urinary tract infections, fever, strenuous exercise, dehydration, and short-term spikes in blood pressure or blood sugar can raise urine albumin temporarily. If your result is high and you had one of these factors around the time of collection, ask whether repeat testing after recovery is appropriate.
How often should you repeat urine albumin testing?
It depends on your risk level and the result. If albumin is elevated, clinicians often repeat testing to confirm persistence and then monitor periodically to track trends. If your result is normal but you have diabetes or hypertension, routine screening is commonly done at least yearly, but your clinician may individualize timing.
What other tests should I consider if my 24-hour urine albumin is high?
Common follow-ups include serum creatinine with eGFR, a urinalysis (to look for blood, casts, or infection), a spot uACR for easier trend monitoring, and blood pressure and diabetes metrics (such as HbA1c) if relevant. Your clinician may also evaluate medications, hydration status, and possible kidney imaging depending on the overall picture.