FOR PEOPLE WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR TYPE 2 DIABETES
Your kidneys may be sending an SOS for hidden heart risk
Your kidneys and heart are closely connected. When your kidneys show signs of damage, this can increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
FOR PEOPLE WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR TYPE 2 DIABETES
Your kidneys may be sending an SOS for hidden heart risk
Your kidneys and heart are closely connected. When your kidneys show signs of damage, this can increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure can stress or damage the heart or kidneys, which may increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Urine ACR (uACR) is a simple urine test that looks for a protein called albumin in your urine, which can be an early sign of kidney damage.
Ask your doctor about the urine ACR (uACR) test – all they need from you is a urine sample.
Understanding the heart-kidney connection
Your kidneys and heart are connected through blood vessels. When blood vessels in the kidneys are damaged by conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, both the kidneys and heart can be affected, increasing your risk of heart disease including a heart attack or stroke.
Albuminuria is an early sign of kidney damage that can be checked with a simple urine test.
Albuminuria: a sign of heart risk
Albumin is a protein in your blood that is important for building muscles, repairing tissue and fighting infections.
High blood pressure or type 2 diabetes can damage your kidneys, impacting their ability to properly filter your blood. As a result, albumin can leak through the kidneys filters into your urine – this is called albuminuria. Albuminuria is a sign of kidney damage and provides information about the risk of heart-related events, such as a heart attack or stroke.
Early kidney damage often has no obvious symptoms, making it harder to detect without testing.
What is a urine ACR test?
A urine ACR (uACR) test is a simple urine test that identifies albumin in the urine, which is a sign of kidney damage. The uACR test should be part of a yearly checkup for people with high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes to check kidney health and heart risk.
For people with high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, detecting albumin in the urine early gives you and your doctor the chance to discuss next steps, such as monitoring, lifestyle changes or treatment options.
ACR=albumin-creatinine ratio.