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.
1 day
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.
A full day's collection averages out hour-to-hour swings and gives the firmest figure for how much albumin is being lost.
When a spot test suggests a leak, this collection establishes whether it is real and how large.
In diabetes, albumin appears in the urine well before blood tests of kidney function begin to shift.
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.
No fasting window — pick any slot that suits you, online or on WhatsApp.
A DHA-licensed nurse collects your sample at home or in the office — free home collection.
A physician-reviewed, easy-to-read report lands securely by WhatsApp and email.
Microalbumin in a 24-hour collection screens for early kidney damage.
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.
Risks of the blood draw
- Mild bruising or brief soreness where the needle went in.
- Occasional lightheadedness, which settles after a few minutes of rest.
- Bleeding or infection at the site, which is rare with sterile single-use equipment.
- 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.
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→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.
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.
Gold standard for detecting early kidney damage in diabetic patients and assessing cardiovascular risk in hypertensive individuals.
No, fasting is not required for the 24-Hr Urine Microalbumin test, so you can eat and drink normally beforehand.
The 24-Hr Urine Microalbumin test uses a 24-hour urine sample, collected quickly by our DHA-licensed phlebotomist with minimal discomfort.
Results for the 24-Hr Urine Microalbumin test are typically ready within 1 day. You will receive a secure digital report, and your Smart Report highlights anything outside the normal range.
The 24-Hr Urine Microalbumin test is AED 90, which includes free home sample collection and a physician-reviewed report. You can also build a custom panel and pay only for the markers you choose.
Yes. A DHA-licensed phlebotomist can collect your sample at home or the office anywhere in Dubai at no extra cost, 7 days a week. See how it works.
It is commonly chosen by all ages. If you are not sure it is right for you, our care team is happy to advise.
Add the 24-Hr Urine Microalbumin test to your cart and complete the short booking wizard, choosing home collection or a lab visit. Guest checkout lets you book without creating an account.
Yes. It is processed at our EIAC-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189:2022) under DHA license 0046381 and verified by board-certified pathologists.
Every report includes reference ranges and plain-language notes. If you have questions, our care team can arrange a clinician review — just get in touch.
Absolutely. Add it to a curated health package or bundle it with any of our 160+ biomarkers, often from a single sample in one visit.