An elevated level of urinary albumin is a helpful diagnostic test for hypertensive nephropathy.

• Blood tests
  • High levels of creatinine, BUN
  • Anemia: low Hb and hematocrit
  • Hyperlipidemia
  • Elevated serum levels of β2-microglobulin and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) have been recently found to predict the hypertensive nephropathy. ^[1]
• Urinary analysis
  • High protein levels
    • May range from microalbuminuria (< 300 mg/ dl) to overt proteinuria (> 300 mg/ dl)
    • Urinary albumin to creatinine ratio may be increased.
  • microscopic haematuria
  • Presence of podocyte proteins in the urine precede proteinuria, so it can be used as an early investigation. But, laboratory test for detecting podocytuia is not widely available. ^[2]
  • Increased mRNA levels of podocin and nephrin in the urine is another early diagnostic test, which shows glomerular damage and developing hypertensive nephropathy. ^[2]