Albumin Random Urine Without Creatinine Biomarker Testing
It measures albumin protein in a single urine sample to screen for kidney stress; order through Vitals Vault with Quest lab access and PocketMD support.
With Vitals Vault, you have access to a comprehensive range of biomarker tests.
This test measures how much albumin (a blood protein) is showing up in a single “random” urine sample. Small amounts can be an early sign that the kidney’s filtering system is under stress, even when you feel fine.
Because it is not paired with urine creatinine, the result is a straight albumin concentration. That can still be useful for screening or follow-up, but it is more sensitive to hydration and timing than an albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR).
If your result is outside the expected range, the next step is usually confirmation with repeat testing and, often, an ACR or a timed urine collection. Your clinician can help interpret the result in context of blood pressure, diabetes risk, medications, and recent exercise or illness.
Do I need a Albumin Random Urine Without Creatinine test?
You may want this test if you are screening for early kidney stress or monitoring a known kidney-related condition and your clinician is tracking urine protein over time. It is commonly considered when you have diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, or a family history of kidney disease.
It can also be helpful if a routine urinalysis flagged “protein” or if you have risk factors that make kidney protection a priority (for example, long-standing hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or certain autoimmune conditions). In pregnancy, urine protein evaluation is sometimes part of assessing complications, although your clinician may prefer other formats depending on the situation.
You do not usually need this test for one-off symptoms like fatigue or back pain, because albumin in urine is more about kidney filter integrity than about day-to-day energy. If you recently had a fever, a urinary tract infection, heavy exercise, or dehydration, it may be better to wait and test when you are back to baseline.
Testing can support clinician-directed care and follow-up planning, but it cannot diagnose a specific disease on its own.
This is a laboratory measurement performed in a CLIA-certified environment; results should be interpreted with your medical history and are not a standalone diagnosis.
Lab testing
Order labs to measure Albumin, Random Urine without Creatinine
from $19.99 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 Albumin Random Urine Without Creatinine testing directly, so you can check kidney-related risk markers on your schedule and bring the results to your clinician. This is especially useful if you are tracking trends over time or building a clearer picture of cardiometabolic risk.
After your results post, you can use PocketMD to ask practical questions such as whether your value should be repeated, what companion tests are usually ordered next, and what common factors can temporarily raise urine albumin.
If your result is elevated, Vitals Vault makes it easy to reorder for confirmation and to add related kidney and metabolic labs so you can interpret the finding in context rather than in isolation.
- Order online and test through a national lab network
- PocketMD helps you turn results into next-step questions for your clinician
- Designed for trending and follow-up, not one-time guesswork
Key benefits of Albumin Random Urine Without Creatinine testing
- Screens for early kidney filter stress before symptoms appear.
- Adds kidney-risk context for people with diabetes, prediabetes, or high blood pressure.
- Helps clarify whether a “protein in urine” dipstick finding needs follow-up.
- Supports monitoring over time when you are working on blood pressure or glucose control.
- Can prompt timely confirmation testing (ACR or repeat sample) when results are borderline.
- Provides a simple, noninvasive urine-based data point that pairs well with blood kidney labs.
- Makes it easier to track trends and plan next steps using PocketMD and repeat ordering.
What is Albumin Random Urine Without Creatinine?
Albumin is the most abundant protein in your blood. Healthy kidneys keep most albumin in the bloodstream while filtering waste into urine. When the kidney’s filtering barrier is irritated or damaged, more albumin can leak into the urine (albuminuria).
“Random urine” means the sample can be collected at any time of day, rather than over 24 hours. “Without creatinine” means the lab reports the albumin concentration in the urine sample, but it does not normalize that value to urine creatinine. Because urine concentration changes with hydration, a standalone albumin concentration can vary more from sample to sample than an albumin-to-creatinine ratio.
This test is often used as a screening or follow-up tool. If the result is elevated, clinicians commonly confirm it with a repeat sample and/or an albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), because ACR better adjusts for how dilute or concentrated your urine was at the time of collection.
Why creatinine matters in urine testing
Creatinine is produced by your muscles at a fairly steady rate and is excreted in urine. When albumin is reported alongside urine creatinine, the ratio (ACR) helps correct for hydration and urine concentration. Without creatinine, your albumin number can look higher after dehydration or lower after drinking a lot of fluids, even if your kidneys have not changed.
How this differs from a routine urinalysis
A standard urinalysis often uses a dipstick that can detect protein, but it is less sensitive for small increases and can be affected by urine concentration and pH. A lab-based urine albumin measurement is more specific for albumin and can detect smaller changes that matter for early kidney risk assessment.
What do my Albumin Random Urine Without Creatinine results mean?
Low urine albumin
A low or undetectable urine albumin level is usually reassuring and suggests your kidneys are keeping albumin in the bloodstream as expected. Very low values are not typically a problem. If you are monitoring kidney risk because of diabetes or high blood pressure, the main goal is consistency over time rather than chasing a specific “higher is better” target.
In-range (expected) urine albumin
An in-range result generally means there is no evidence of increased albumin leakage in that sample. Keep in mind that “random” urine albumin can vary with hydration, so a single normal result does not always rule out intermittent albuminuria. If you have ongoing risk factors, periodic repeat testing (often annually, or as your clinician recommends) helps confirm stability.
High urine albumin
A high result means more albumin was present in the urine sample than expected, which can be a sign of kidney filter stress or damage. Because this test does not include creatinine, the first question is whether the sample was unusually concentrated (for example, from dehydration) or affected by a temporary trigger. Many clinicians confirm an elevated result with a repeat test and/or an albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), and they may also review blood pressure, blood sugar control, and kidney function blood tests.
Factors that influence urine albumin results
Hydration status is a major factor for this specific test, because a concentrated urine sample can raise the albumin concentration even if your underlying kidney status is unchanged. Recent vigorous exercise, fever, acute illness, urinary tract infection, and menstruation or vaginal discharge contamination can also increase measured albumin. Some medications and supplements that affect kidney blood flow or inflammation can shift results, and pregnancy can change how urine protein is evaluated. If your result is unexpected, repeating the test when you are well and normally hydrated is often the most informative next step.
What’s included
- Albumin, Urine
- Ram
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to fast for a random urine albumin test?
Fasting is not usually required. What matters more is avoiding heavy exercise right before the test and collecting the sample when you are not acutely ill, because those factors can temporarily raise urine albumin.
What is the difference between urine albumin and microalbumin?
“Microalbumin” is an older term that refers to small (but clinically meaningful) amounts of albumin in urine. Many labs now simply report “urine albumin,” and the interpretation depends on the amount and, ideally, whether it is confirmed on repeat testing or reported as an albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR).
Why would my clinician prefer albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) instead?
ACR divides urine albumin by urine creatinine to adjust for how dilute or concentrated your urine was. That usually makes ACR more reliable for screening and monitoring, especially when you are comparing results over time.
Can dehydration cause high urine albumin on this test?
Yes. Dehydration can concentrate your urine and raise the albumin concentration even if the amount of albumin your kidneys are leaking has not changed. If your result is high and you were dehydrated, repeating the test when you are normally hydrated (or using ACR) is often recommended.
How soon should I repeat an abnormal urine albumin result?
That depends on how high the result is and whether there were temporary triggers like illness, exercise, or a possible urinary infection. Many clinicians repeat testing within weeks to a few months to confirm persistence, and they may switch to ACR for better comparability.
Does a high urine albumin result mean I have kidney disease?
Not by itself. A single elevated random urine albumin can be temporary or influenced by hydration and other factors. Persistent elevation on repeat testing, especially when paired with reduced kidney function on blood tests or abnormal urine findings, is more concerning and should be evaluated with your clinician.
What other tests are commonly ordered with urine albumin?
Common companion tests include urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), serum creatinine with estimated GFR (eGFR), a basic or comprehensive metabolic panel, and sometimes a urinalysis. Your clinician may also focus on blood pressure and glucose markers (like HbA1c) because they strongly influence kidney risk.