The urea test measures, directly in blood, the main nitrogen waste product made in the liver from protein breakdown and cleared by the kidneys. Practitioners read it with creatinine to separate hydration status and protein load from a real change in filtration. Dehydration, high protein intake, heavy training and rapid weight loss can all raise it, so a single result needs that context.
| Test type | Measured in a blood sample |
|---|---|
| Measurements required | Urea only |
| Sample and collection | Blood draw at a collection centre |
| Preparation | This test doesn't need fasting on its own. |
| Turnaround | 3 to 5 business days |
| Available through | Urea, Electrolytes & Creatinine, part of the Baseline Health Check. Also in: Full Body Health Check. |
| Pricing | Included in the $99 Baseline Health Check |
| Results | Returned in the Vively practitioner platform, beside your client's other markers |
What are the Urea reference and optimal ranges?
| Typical lab reference | Vively optimal | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | 2.3 to 10.0 mmol/L | No separate optimal range |
Labs differ and many use a lower upper limit for younger adults, so read the result against the range printed on the client's report (RCPA guidance). There is no Vively optimal range for urea.
Check a client's Urea result
Enter the value from your client's lab report to see where it sits against the typical lab range and the Vively optimal range.
A guide only, not a diagnosis. One result is a starting point: read it with symptoms, history and a repeat test. Labs differ, so check the result against the range on your client's report. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.
How do you arrange Urea testing through Vively?
- Get verified. Practitioners with a recognised qualification or membership (ATMS, NHAA, ANTA, Dietitians Australia, NSA, CMA or Ahpra registration) can request free practitioner access.
- Choose a panel. Log in to the practitioner platform and pick a panel that includes Urea, or build your own. It is included in the $99 Baseline Health Check.
- Client collects. Your client collects at a partner collection centre, with their request on their phone or printed.
- Review results. Results come back to you in the practitioner platform, beside your client's other markers, ready for the follow-up consult.
Which Vively panels include Urea?
Log in to the practitioner platform to view a panel in full, or build and save your own from 100+ tests and panels.
- Baseline Health Check74 markers across 11 lab groups$99
One fasting blood draw.
Full Blood CountUrea, Electrolytes & CreatinineLiver Function TestsCalcium, Phosphate & MagnesiumLipid StudiesDiabetes & Glycaemic StudiesIron StudiesThyroid Function Tests+3 moreLog in to view this panel - Log in to view this panelFull Body Health Check87 markers · Health checksPrice on sign-up
How do you read Urea without an optimal range?
No separate optimal range: urea moves with protein intake, hydration, catabolism and liver output as much as kidney function, so a target would mostly measure last week's diet.
Urea rising out of step with creatinine points to a pre-renal cause: dehydration, high protein intake, heavy training, gastrointestinal bleeding or corticosteroids.
Urea and creatinine rising together with a falling eGFR point towards reduced filtration.
A low urea usually reflects low protein intake, pregnancy or high fluid intake, and only rarely reduced liver synthesis.
What should Urea be read with?
- HighHigh urea, normal creatinine and eGFR
Often seen with dehydration, high protein intake or heavy training; repeat well hydrated.
- HighHigh urea and creatinine, low eGFR
Possible reduced filtration and needs GP review.
- HighHigh urea with a falling haemoglobin
Possible upper gastrointestinal bleeding; GP review, urgently if stools are black.
- LowLow urea, low albumin
Possible low protein intake; check intake history and hs-CRP before acting.
What can affect a Urea result?
- Dehydration, including an overnight fast without water
- High protein intake or protein shakes in the day before
- Heavy training, long fasts or rapid weight loss, through muscle protein breakdown
- Corticosteroids and tetracycline antibiotics (raise it)
- Pregnancy and high fluid intake (lower it)
When should you refer the client to their GP?
- Urea above the lab range together with raised creatinine or low eGFR
- Urea that stays high on a repeat taken well hydrated, or keeps climbing across tests
- High urea with black or tarry stools, vomiting blood or a falling haemoglobin: urgent review
- Urea around 20 mmol/L or higher: prompt medical attention
How should a client prepare for a Urea test?
Copy or print this to send to your client.
Preparing for your Urea test
- This test doesn't need fasting on its own.
- If your practitioner has requested the Baseline Health Check, fast for 8 to 12 hours before a morning collection (water is fine).
- Drink water as usual, and skip a large protein meal beforehand, as both dehydration and a big protein load can raise urea.
- Take your pathology request to any of 4,000+ collection centres. Bring it printed or on your phone.
- Keep taking prescribed medicines as usual unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
- Results usually take 3 to 5 business days and come to your practitioner. Book your results appointment for after that.
How do practitioners use Urea with clients?
Ask about protein shakes, training load and fluid intake before reading anything into a high urea. With normal creatinine and eGFR, a mildly high urea on a high-protein plan reflects intake, and matching protein to need is a reasonable response. An unexplained low urea with weight loss is worth a closer look at intake.
Urea FAQs
Does a high-protein diet raise urea?
Yes. More dietary protein means more urea from the liver, so high-protein plans and regular shakes can push urea to the top of the range or just above. With normal creatinine and eGFR this reflects intake and does not suggest kidney damage. If the client has diabetes or a reduced eGFR, agree the protein target with their GP.
How do I convert a US BUN result to urea?
Multiply BUN in mg/dL by 0.357 to get urea in mmol/L, so a BUN of 14 mg/dL is about 5 mmol/L. US reports count only the nitrogen in urea, which is why the numbers and units differ from Australian reports. Use the converted value against the Australian range on the client's report.
Can a naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian order urea through Vively?
Yes. Add it to a client panel on the Vively practitioner platform. It is part of Urea, Electrolytes & Creatinine in the $99 Baseline Health Check, and is also in Full Body Health Check. No account yet? Request free access.
How do I read urea alongside creatinine?
Urea with a normal creatinine and eGFR points to hydration, protein load or heavy training rather than a kidney problem, so repeat well hydrated. When urea and creatinine are both high with a low eGFR, filtration may be reduced and the client's GP should review. The pair separates what the client ate and drank from what the kidneys are doing.
What does a low urea mean?
A low urea can reflect low protein intake, high fluid intake or pregnancy. Low urea with low albumin strengthens the case for low intake, so take a diet history and check hs-CRP before acting. An unexplained low urea with weight loss deserves a closer look at what the client is actually eating.
References
- Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. RCPA Manual: Urea. Source
- Pathology Tests Explained. Urea (blood and urine).
- Hosten AO. BUN and creatinine. In: Walker HK, Hall WD, Hurst JW, eds. Clinical Methods. 3rd edition. 1990.
- National Health and Medical Research Council. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Protein.