Urinary Microalbumin Greater Than 6.0 mg/g Creatinine
A urinary microalbumin level of 6.0 mg/g creatinine is within the normal range and does not indicate kidney damage or require specific intervention beyond routine annual screening if risk factors are present. 1
Understanding the Result
Your result falls well below the threshold for concern:
- Normal albuminuria: ≤30 mg/g creatinine 1
- Microalbuminuria (abnormal): 30-300 mg/g creatinine 1, 2
- Macroalbuminuria (severely abnormal): >300 mg/g creatinine 1
Your value of 6.0 mg/g creatinine represents approximately 20% of the upper limit of normal, indicating healthy kidney function with respect to albumin excretion. 1
Clinical Significance
This normal result indicates:
- No evidence of early kidney damage - Microalbuminuria serves as the earliest clinical marker of diabetic nephropathy and vascular dysfunction, and your result shows no such abnormality. 2, 3
- Lower cardiovascular risk - Elevated urinary albumin (even in the microalbuminuric range) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality, which your normal result does not suggest. 4, 5
- No endothelial dysfunction - Microalbuminuria reflects generalized vascular permeability and endothelial damage; your normal value indicates intact vascular function. 3, 5
What You Should Do
If you have diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2):
- Continue annual screening with spot urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, preferably using first morning void samples. 6
- Maintain optimal glycemic control (HbA1c <7%) to prevent future development of microalbuminuria. 1, 6
- Keep blood pressure <130/80 mmHg. 3
If you have hypertension without diabetes:
- Annual screening for microalbuminuria is recommended as 8-15% of hypertensive patients develop this abnormality. 5
- Maintain blood pressure <130/80 mmHg. 3
If you have neither diabetes nor hypertension:
- No specific follow-up is needed for this normal result. 1
- Routine health maintenance continues as appropriate for your age and risk factors.
Important Caveats
Transient elevations can occur - Even though your result is normal, be aware that several factors can temporarily increase urinary albumin excretion and should be avoided before future testing: 4
- Vigorous exercise within 24 hours of collection 1, 4
- Acute infections or fever 4
- Marked hyperglycemia 4
- Urinary tract infections 4
Confirmation requires multiple samples - If future testing shows elevation (>30 mg/g), diagnosis of microalbuminuria requires 2 out of 3 abnormal specimens collected over 3-6 months due to significant day-to-day variability. 2, 4
First morning samples are preferred - This minimizes the confounding effect of orthostatic proteinuria, particularly important in adolescents and young adults. 1, 6