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My Bun Level Is A 6 And My Bun Ratio

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Posted on Mon, 10 Aug 2020
Question: My bun level is a 6 and my bun ratio is 8. My bun has dropped from a 10 to a 6 in 4 months. What does this mean?
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Answered by Dr. Aaron Branch (32 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Measure of hydration status

Detailed Answer:
Hello, I'm Dr. Branch, thanks for using 'Ask a Doctor'. The BUN stand for blood urea nitrogen, which is a byproduct of metabolism in the body. It can be affected by many things, including how much protein you eat, but most importantly it can be a measure of kidney function, and how hydrated you are. When someone become dehydrated, often BUN is the first marker that goes up.

Any value below 20 for BUN would be normal, and any BUN to creatinine ration below 20 would also be normal, so I wouldn't be concerned about your values at all. The change is most likely due to changes in your hydration (BUN can vary significantly from day to day because of changes in hydration).

A low value for either has no significance that I know of, and would not be anything to worry about. Only if it is high do we become concerned about kidney function or dehydration.

I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems and comprehensive renal care, talk to a Nephrologist. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana
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Answered by
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Dr. Aaron Branch

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2011

Answered : 1202 Questions

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My Bun Level Is A 6 And My Bun Ratio

Brief Answer: Measure of hydration status Detailed Answer: Hello, I'm Dr. Branch, thanks for using 'Ask a Doctor'. The BUN stand for blood urea nitrogen, which is a byproduct of metabolism in the body. It can be affected by many things, including how much protein you eat, but most importantly it can be a measure of kidney function, and how hydrated you are. When someone become dehydrated, often BUN is the first marker that goes up. Any value below 20 for BUN would be normal, and any BUN to creatinine ration below 20 would also be normal, so I wouldn't be concerned about your values at all. The change is most likely due to changes in your hydration (BUN can vary significantly from day to day because of changes in hydration). A low value for either has no significance that I know of, and would not be anything to worry about. Only if it is high do we become concerned about kidney function or dehydration. I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.