What Does a High Urine ACR Mean?

Clinically, a high urine ACR primarily refers to an elevated ratio of urine microalbumin to urine creatinine, often caused by physiological reasons, kidney stones, glomerulonephritis, and other factors.

1. Physiological reasons: For instance, strenuous exercise or excessive fatigue can often lead to a temporary increase in albumin in the urine, resulting in proteinuria. This is a normal reaction that can resolve spontaneously after removing the adverse factors.

2. Kidney stones: The presence of stones in the kidneys, especially when the stones are active, can cause friction on the urothelial cells, leading to bleeding and allowing blood to enter the urine, which can result in proteinuria and hematuria.

3. Glomerulonephritis: When glomerulonephritis is present, glomerular lesions often cause damage to the glomerular filtration membrane, allowing albumin and polymeric proteins in the blood to enter the urine, which cannot be reabsorbed, leading to proteinuria and increased albumin in the urine.

Besides the aforementioned reasons, it could also be due to reflux nephropathy, etc. If symptoms such as edema, hematuria, or enlarged lymph nodes appear, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately.