Why is a routine urine test not enough?
A standard general urine test detects protein only when a lot of it is lost - and by this point, kidney damage is already severe and often irreversible. Microalbuminuria - a loss of 30-300 mg of albumin per day - is detected by a special sensitive method years earlier. It is during this period that the changes are still reversible: monitoring glucose and blood pressure, prescribing drugs from the group of ACE inhibitors or sartans can stop the process. Therefore, the study is included in the mandatory annual examination program for diabetes mellitus and is recommended for hypertension.
Why preparation is so important
The laboratory result is a number, but the correct number can only be obtained if the rules are followed. Eating changes the levels of glucose, lipids and a number of enzymes significantly; physical activity the day before increases CK and AST; smoking affects hormones; time of day is critical for cortisol and testosterone.
Therefore, a “bad analysis” often turns out to be a consequence of impaired preparation, and not an illness, and leads to unnecessary examinations and prescriptions.
General rules for donating blood
- on an empty stomach 8–12 hours, you can drink water
- Eliminate alcohol and intense exercise per day
- no smoking in an hour
- donate blood before physiotherapy, x-rays and massage
- Take medications in advance by agreeing with your doctor
- for hormones in women, take into account the day of the cycle
How to read the result
Reference values depend on the method and equipment of the laboratory, so it is correct to compare results only within the same laboratory. A deviation of a few percent from the normal limit in itself rarely matters - the overall picture and dynamics are important. It is up to the physician to interpret the analysis: an isolated indicator without a clinical context is often misleading.