What are ketones?
Ketones (also known as ketone bodies) are substances that are produced in the liver when fatty acids are broken down. They include acetone, acetoacetate and b-hydroxybutyrate. If you are starving or have an insulin deficiency, the body produces more ketones. These then enter the bloodstream and are excreted via the kidneys in the urine. If the doctor finds ketones in the urine, this is called ketonuria.
When are ketones determined in urine?
Urine testing for ketones is primarily carried out when diagnosing diabetes and during the further course of the disease. This applies to both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The determination of ketone bodies is particularly important in diabetic patients with metabolic derailment. Diabetics can also regularly test their urine for ketones on their own using test strips. A sample of mid-stream urine is best suited for this. There are different test fields on the test strip that change color when they come into contact with ketone bodies. The more ketones are present in the urine, the clearer the color change.
It is also important to determine the ketones in children’s urine: Especially in newborns, ketonuria can indicate congenital metabolic disorders that need to be treated as quickly as possible.
Ketones in urine: what value is normal?
When is the ketone level in urine too low?
There is no such thing as urinary ketone levels that are too low.
When is the ketone level in the urine too high?
Increased ketones are found in the urine in the following illnesses or situations:
- Diabetes mellitus (“diabetes”)
- High fever
- Major injuries, also after operations
- High-fat diet
Ketones in the urine are also elevated during fasting and malnutrition, albeit to a lesser extent.
A false positive test result is obtained when taking certain medications, excreting large amounts of bacteria and storing the urine sample incorrectly.
Ketone in urine: pregnancy
There are also some clinical pictures and complications during pregnancy that become apparent with ketonuria. These include, for example, so-called hyperemesis gravidarum. This refers to persistent and difficult to control vomiting during pregnancy.
Pregnant women with diabetes also have an increased risk of metabolic derailment, which is why regular monitoring of possible ketones in the urine is very important.
