Urinalysis, Routine
A dipstick and microscopic examination of urine — protein, glucose, blood, ketones, pH, specific gravity, plus cells and crystals.
A cheap, fast window into kidney health, hydration, urinary infection and diabetes. Protein in the urine is one of the earliest signs of kidney damage — often appearing before eGFR changes.
The plan of attack
In this order. Most people start at step four, which is why they change five things at once and learn nothing.
- Confirm the number is real
Menstruation and hydration. Menstrual blood contaminates the sample. Over-hydration dilutes everything toward false negatives. Avoid testing during a period. First morning sample is the most concentrated and informative. - Read it with its partner
Use a clean midstream catch. Avoid testing right after heavy training. Draw it alongside: Cystatin C with eGFR, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP), HbA1c (Hemoglobin A1c). - Work out which direction is yours
If it's high — Persistent proteinuria warrants follow-up with a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio.
If it's low — N/A. - Fix it in this order
Nutrition. Adequate hydration; moderate sodium if hypertensive; control blood sugar.
Lifestyle. Blood pressure and glucose control protect the kidneys long-term. Don't test right after a brutal session — exercise causes transient proteinuria and hematuria.
Supplements. Nothing specific — treat the underlying cause.
Hormones. Manage hypertension and diabetes; ACE inhibitors/ARBs are renoprotective where indicated.
Compounds. Worth including on any comprehensive panel for anyone using compounds long-term — it's inexpensive and catches early kidney signals.
Work down the list, not across it. Adding a compound on top of an unfixed diet is why generic protocols fail. - Retest
Annually, or with any kidney concern. Change one thing at a time, or the retest can't tell you which thing worked.
How to fix it
📚 KDIGO 2024 CKD Guideline — albuminuria in CKD staging.
🩸 Test your Urinalysis, Routine
Order directly through Marek Diagnostics — no doctor's visit needed, drawn at any Quest location in the US. Code CAMERON applies 10% off automatically.
Order this test — 10% off → Browse all 102 markers →What Urinalysis, Routine is usually tested alongside
On its own, one marker is a data point. These panels include Urinalysis, Routine plus the markers that make it interpretable — each names every test, why it is on the list, and loads the whole set into your cart in one click at 10% off.
includes this + 5 more markers — High blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney disease, long-term NSAID use — or you lift heavily and your eGFR came back looking alarming.
includes this + 6 more markers · built for men — Over 45, or over 40 with a family history. Also anyone with urinary changes — weak stream, frequency, waking at night to urinate.
What moves your Urinalysis, Routine
1 supplement in the Vault have a documented effect on this marker, or are a reason to have measured it first:
Browse all 237 compounds & 350 supplements →
Would you feel it? Symptoms Urinalysis, Routine helps explain
People rarely search for a marker — they search for how they feel. These are the complaints where this marker is worth checking, and whether it is a first-line test or a follow-up once the obvious causes are ruled out.
Why your Urinalysis, Routine might be wrong
Most abnormal results are interference, not disease. These are the things that measurably move this specific marker — check them before you change anything. Each one says whether the number is wrong and should be repeated, badly timed and should be redrawn, or real with a cause worth explaining.
Hard exercise causes transient protein and blood in the urine in healthy people — a very common cause of an alarming dipstick.
No hard training for 48 hours before. Repeat an abnormal dipstick when rested.
Menstrual blood contaminates the sample. Over-hydration dilutes everything toward false negatives.
Avoid testing during a period. First morning sample is the most concentrated and informative.
High-dose vitamin C causes false negatives for blood and glucose on dipstick. Rifampicin and phenazopyridine discolour urine enough to confuse the pads.
Stop high-dose vitamin C 48 hours before.
What Urinalysis, Routine means in combination
A single marker tells you a little. Combinations tell you the story — these are the named patterns this marker takes part in, and what each one points at.
Transient exercise-induced proteinuria and haematuria are common in healthy people, and they are one of the most frequent causes of an alarming dipstick. Dehydration concentrates the sample and exaggerates it further.
Repeat on a first-morning sample after 48 hours without hard training. Persistent protein or blood on a rested repeat needs proper assessment, read alongside creatinine and cystatin C.
What to test next
Markers rarely answer alone. These are the ones that put Urinalysis, Routine in context — each with its own full breakdown.
Frequently asked questions
Negative for protein, glucose, blood, nitrites and leukocyte esterase Ranges vary by laboratory and assay — always compare to the range printed on your own report.
Clean dipstick, specific gravity 1.005–1.025 (a hydration readout).
Persistent proteinuria warrants follow-up with a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio.
N/A.
You can order Urinalysis, Routine directly through Marek Diagnostics without a doctor's visit — drawn at any Quest Diagnostics location in the US. Code CAMERON applies 10% off automatically.