Protein retention and the urine sample
Biomarker library
Urinalysis
Urine protein
Healthy kidneys keep protein in the blood, so only tiny amounts should reach your urine. This test checks whether the kidneys' filters are leaking.
Measured in your health assessment, with a doctor to explain your result. Book yours
Why it matters
Protein in the urine can be one of the earliest signs of kidney damage, often appearing before eGFR falls, especially in people with diabetes or high blood pressure.
What a result can mean
Lower than the range
No protein, or a trace, is the normal result.
Higher than the range
Temporary protein can follow a fever, intense exercise or standing for long periods. Persistent protein suggests kidney damage, most often from diabetes or high blood pressure, and is confirmed with a laboratory test called ACR.
What can help
Controlling blood pressure and blood sugar, not smoking and eating less salt protect the kidney filters. Some blood pressure medicines (ACE inhibitors and ARBs) and some diabetes medicines (SGLT2 inhibitors) reduce protein leakage and slow kidney disease.
Read it with
NoteGeneral educational illustration. Colours, sizes and movement are simplified. This is not a scan or a simulation of your body. General information, not personal medical advice: a doctor reads your own results with your history.
Know your urine protein.
Measured in your health assessment and explained by the doctor who reviews your results.