Microalbumin, 24 Hrs. Urine
This 24-hour urine test measures tiny amounts of albumin that leak through the kidneys. It is the most precise method for detecting early diabetic kidney disease before significant damage occurs.
- DHA-licensed lab
- Includes Doctor Consultation
- Physician-reviewed
- Same Day Collection
24 hours
Turnaround
24-Hour Urine
Sample
What the Microalbumin, 24 Hrs. Urine test tells you
Albumin is the most plentiful protein in blood, and healthy kidney filters hold almost all of it inside the circulation. When those filters begin to leak, small quantities start appearing in the urine long before anything registers on a routine dipstick and long before any symptom is felt. This test collects every drop of urine passed over a full day and measures the total amount of albumin lost in that time.
Collecting across a whole day removes the largest source of error in urine testing. Albumin loss rises and falls with posture, activity, blood pressure and fluid intake, so a single sample captures only one moment. A full-day collection averages all of it and gives the most exact figure available for how much albumin the kidneys are letting through, which is why it is used when a screening test has been abnormal and a firm answer is needed.
The finding matters most in diabetes and long-standing high blood pressure, where a persistent leak is the earliest visible sign that the kidney's small vessels are under strain. That is also the encouraging part: it appears at a stage when tighter blood pressure and glucose control, and certain medications, can still slow or stabilise the change. It is a marker of blood-vessel health more generally too. One abnormal collection is never treated as a conclusion, because fever, urinary infection, heavy exercise, heart failure and menstruation can all lift albumin loss temporarily.
Gold standard for detecting early kidney damage in diabetic patients and assessing cardiovascular risk in hypertensive individuals.
- Most precise measurement
A full day's collection averages out hour-to-hour swings and gives the firmest figure for how much albumin is being lost.
- Confirms a screening result
When a spot test suggests a leak, this collection establishes whether it is real and how large.
- Detects strain early
In diabetes, albumin appears in the urine well before blood tests of kidney function begin to shift.
- Guides protective treatment
A confirmed, persistent leak often prompts your doctor to review blood pressure medication and glucose control while the change is still reversible.
Reasons your doctor may request the Microalbumin, 24 Hrs. Urine test
Your doctor may order this test for any of the reasons below. Some are routine checks, others follow specific symptoms or an earlier result.
Confirming an abnormal spot test
- You have diabetes and a spot urine screening test has come back abnormal.
- Spot testing has given inconsistent results and a definitive figure is required.
Blood pressure & cardiovascular risk
- Your blood pressure has been high for years and a precise measure of albumin loss is wanted.
- Cardiovascular risk is being assessed and your doctor wants the kidney's contribution to that picture.
Medication & known kidney disease
- Albumin loss needs quantifying before or after a change in kidney-protective medication.
- A known kidney condition is being followed and repeated, comparable measurements are needed.
A result in the Normal band, reported in mg/24h, means the albumin your kidneys let through over the full day was within the expected amount. Microalbuminuria means a small but persistent leak: the earliest visible sign that the kidney's filters are under strain, and it appears at a stage where tighter blood pressure and glucose control, and certain medicines, can still slow the change. A High result means a larger loss and needs your doctor's assessment. One raised collection is never a conclusion. Fever, a urinary infection, strenuous exercise, heart failure and menstruation all lift albumin temporarily, and the figure is only as good as the collection: missing a single passing of urine understates the true loss. The test shows that albumin is leaking, not why. Your doctor interprets it with your blood pressure, glucose control, kidney blood tests and symptoms.
Medically reviewed by Dr Nirupama Sabhapathy
Ranges are a guide: your physician interprets your result alongside your symptoms and history.
What a higher result can point to
- Diabetes affecting the small filtering vessels of the kidney.
- Long-standing or poorly controlled high blood pressure.
- Glomerular disease, where the filtering units themselves are inflamed or damaged.
- A urinary tract infection or a fever during the collection period.
- Strenuous exercise, or menstruation, at the time of collection.
- Heart failure, which raises pressure within the kidney's circulation.
These are possibilities, not diagnoses. A single value outside the reference range is interpreted alongside your symptoms, history and other tests: your doctor decides what it means for you.
What this test cannot tell you
- The result is only as good as the collection; missing even one passing of urine understates the true loss.
- A single raised result is not enough, because infection, fever, heavy exercise, heart failure and menstruation all cause temporary rises, so an abnormal result is normally repeated before it is acted on.
- The test shows that albumin is leaking, not why; identifying the cause needs blood tests, imaging or specialist review.
- A low or undetectable result carries no meaning of its own beyond the absence of a detectable leak.
Collecting your sample safely
- No needle is involved: you pass urine into a sterile container, so there is no physical risk.
- Wash your hands before and after, and don't touch the inside of the container or lid, so the sample stays clean.
- Close the lid firmly and keep the sample cool until it is collected, since a sample left warm can give a misleading result.
- 1Albumin in urine is one of the earliest signals that kidney filters are under strain.
- 2It appears at a stage where treatment can still change the outcome, which is the point of testing for it.
- 3A full-day collection is the most exact way to measure how much is being lost.
- 4It is usually ordered to confirm an abnormal spot test rather than as a first screen.
- 5Results are repeated before any conclusion is drawn, and nothing is read into a low value.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Microalbumin, 24 Hrs. Urine test. Can't find what you're looking for?
Talk to our team→Our laboratory reports 0 to 29 mg/24h as normal albumin excretion. A result of 30 to 299 mg/24h is microalbuminuria, an early sign of kidney involvement to discuss with your doctor. A result of 300 mg/24h or above is reported as high, meaning significant albuminuria that needs your doctor's assessment.
On the first morning, pass urine into the toilet and note the time; the collection starts then. Every passing of urine after that, including overnight, goes into the container provided, ending with your first urine at the same time the next morning. Keep the container closed and cool, add nothing to it, and return it promptly.
The most common lasting causes are diabetes affecting the small filtering vessels of the kidney and long-standing or poorly controlled high blood pressure. Glomerular disease and heart failure can also cause it. A urinary infection, fever, strenuous exercise or menstruation during the collection can raise albumin temporarily, which is why a raised result is repeated.
Long-standing high blood pressure strains the kidney's filters, and a small albumin leak is one of the earliest visible signs of that strain. The finding is also used in assessing cardiovascular risk in people with hypertension, so it can prompt your doctor to tighten blood pressure control at a stage where the change can still be slowed.
Postpone the collection if you have a urinary infection or a fever, or if you are menstruating, because each of these raises albumin temporarily and can give a misleadingly high result. Avoid strenuous exercise on the collection day for the same reason, and choose a day when you can collect every passing of urine.
The spot test samples one moment and is used for screening. This collection captures an entire day and gives the more exact figure, so it is usually the follow-up when a spot test is abnormal.
Albumin loss can rise for a few days after a fever, an infection or hard exercise. Repeating establishes whether the leak is persistent rather than a passing event.
Yes. Any missed volume lowers the measured total and can make a real leak look smaller than it is. Tell the laboratory, as it is usually better to restart the collection on another day.
No. It is an early warning that the filters are under strain, and at this stage the change can often be slowed or stabilised. Your doctor interprets it together with blood tests of kidney function.
No. No fasting is needed, and you should eat and drink as usual during the collection. Tell the team about any medicines you take, particularly for blood pressure or diabetes.
The 24-hour urine microalbumin test is AED 90, including a physician-reviewed report, with results usually within 24 hours. Home collection anywhere in Dubai is free when your order reaches AED 300 or includes a package; below that, a AED 100 home collection fee applies (AED 50 for a lab walk-in).