Microalbumin-Creatinine Ratio Unit Converter

The microalbumin-creatinine ratio (also called UACR or ACR) measures the amount of albumin protein relative to creatinine in a urine sample. It is used to detect very small amounts of albumin leaking into the urine, which standard urine dipsticks cannot pick up.

Albumin is a large protein normally kept in the blood by the kidneys' filtration barrier. When this barrier is damaged, even slightly, albumin leaks through into the urine. The creatinine component adjusts for how concentrated or dilute the urine sample is, giving a standardized result from a single spot urine collection.

This ratio is one of the earliest markers of kidney damage and is routinely used to screen people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or other risk factors for kidney disease.

Albumin is produced by the liver and is normally kept in the bloodstream by the kidneys' glomerular filtration barrier. When this barrier is damaged, albumin passes through into the urine, where it is measured against creatinine (a waste product of muscle metabolism) to calculate the ratio.