DR. ADAM STATEN - GP VIEW AND RED FLAG SYMPTOMS
Urea is produced by your liver and is a waste product of proteins being broken down. As with most body waste, it is cleared from your blood by the kidneys. Therefore, we can use this measurement as a measurement of your kidney function.
Reference ranges
If your indicative urea level is lower than the reference range for our laboratory:
Low urea levels are rare and usually not a concern on their own. They may be present in cases of malnutrition or severe liver disease, but additional symptoms would typically be evident. Low urea levels are also common during normal pregnancy.
If you are concerned or are experiencing symptoms, you should discuss these results with your GP.
If your indicative urea level is higher than the reference range for our laboratory:
It may be a sign of a very high protein diet or dehydration at the time of the test (which is why we recommend plenty of water before taking the blood sample!)
It can also mean a sign of kidney disease and should be investigated further.
Please discuss this result with your GP.
Red flag symptoms for the Urea Blood Test
Even if the blood test is normal, you should still see your doctor if you have any of the symptoms below.
- Swollen around the ankles, eyes or abdomen
- Lower than expected urine output
- Passing a lot more urine than normal
- In men; symptoms of difficulty passing urine, getting up more than usual at night to pass urine, or being unable to fully empty your bladder
Your Results and Health Dashboard
The results of your Urea Blood Test will be emailed to you as a secured PDF file, ready for your GP and will also be uploaded to our Health Dashboard area of the website. It’s a unique and powerful tool, powered by our in-house clinical analysis research, to match your biomarkers across test panels and symptoms, as well as provide clinical commentary on all individual biomarkers you tested for.
The health dashboard will also provide "panel level" commentary - a birds eye view of the biomarkers that were tested. This feature allows you to view your test results and clinical commentary, and compare them to previous results, giving you a clear understanding of how your health is progressing.
By using the Health Dashboard, you can identify changes in your biomarkers and make necessary adjustments to your lifestyle. This added value is immense, as it empowers you to monitor your health and make informed decisions about your well-being.
It's free and is available with all of our tests.