About Albumin (Urine)
Urinary albumin (typically reported as albumin-to-creatinine ratio, ACR) detects tiny amounts of albumin leaking into the urine — a sign that kidney filtering membranes are becoming damaged and protein is escaping into the urine when it should be retained. Microalbuminuria is one of the earliest detectable signs of kidney damage in diabetes and hypertension — appearing years before eGFR starts to fall — and is a strong independent predictor of cardiovascular events. Catching microalbuminuria early enables interventions (blood pressure control, SGLT2 inhibitors, renin-angiotensin blockade) that can halt or reverse progression.