What Does an Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio of 4.6 mg/g Indicate?
Your A/C ratio of 4.6 mg/g is normal and indicates no evidence of kidney damage. This value falls well below the threshold of 30 mg/g that defines abnormal kidney function 1.
Understanding Your Result
- Normal range: ACR values less than 30 mg/g are considered normal 1, 2
- Your value of 4.6 mg/g: This is approximately 6-7 times lower than the cutoff for kidney damage, placing you firmly in the normal category 1
- The albumin-to-creatinine ratio is used because it corrects for variations in urine concentration without requiring inconvenient 24-hour urine collections 2
Clinical Significance of Different ACR Ranges
The kidney disease guidelines categorize ACR results as follows 1, 2:
- Normal: <30 mg/g (your result falls here)
- Moderately increased albuminuria: 30-299 mg/g (indicates early kidney damage requiring intervention)
- Severely increased albuminuria: ≥300 mg/g (indicates advanced kidney damage with high cardiovascular risk)
What This Means for Your Health
- No kidney damage detected: Your kidneys are filtering albumin normally 1
- No increased cardiovascular risk: Elevated ACR is an independent risk marker for cardiovascular death, but your normal value does not confer this risk 1
- No treatment needed: Values below 30 mg/g do not require specific kidney-protective medications or dietary restrictions 2, 3
Important Caveats About ACR Testing
Several factors can temporarily elevate ACR results, though your value is so low that these are unlikely to be relevant 1, 2:
- Exercise within 24 hours before testing
- Active urinary tract infection or fever
- Marked hyperglycemia (very high blood sugar)
- Menstruation
- Uncontrolled hypertension
- Congestive heart failure exacerbation
Recommended Follow-Up
- If you have diabetes: Annual ACR screening is recommended to monitor for development of kidney disease 1, 2
- If you have cardiovascular disease: The American Heart Association recommends screening with ACR as part of kidney disease detection 1
- If you have neither condition: Routine monitoring frequency should be determined by your overall health status and other risk factors 1
When to Be Concerned
You should have repeat testing if 1, 2:
- Future ACR values rise to 30 mg/g or higher on two separate occasions
- You develop diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease
- Your estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) falls below 60 mL/min/1.73 m²
Your current result of 4.6 mg/g requires no action other than routine monitoring appropriate to your overall health status.