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Low Bun/Creatinine Ratio

07/06/2010

Question:

My BUN was 6 mg/dl my creatinine was .88 mg/dl protein total serium was 6.3 g/dl. My bun/creatinine ratio is 7. I am a 37 year female with type 1 diabetes and SLE. Should this be something for me to be worried about? My doctor didn`t mention it but I saw it when looking over my blood test results.

Answer:

Not to worry: the BUN/creatinine ratio was really only invented because it helps us to diagnose certain disorders when it’s high (greater than 20).  A low ratio is not a sign of a disease or disorder.  A low ratio is usually associated with a low BUN, which in turn can be seen in people who eat relatively little protein, especially meat protein, or in people who drink lots of water.  The important thing for you, since you have both diabetes and lupus, is for your BUN and creatinine to not be high.

For more information:

Go to the Kidney Diseases health topic.