Use of protein:creatinine ratio measurements on random urine samples for prediction of significant proteinuria: a systematic review.

Proteinuria is recognized as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and renal disease and as a predictor of end organ damage. The reference test, a 24-h urine protein estimation, is known to be unreliable. A random urine protein:creatinine ratio has been shown to correlate with a 24-h estimation, but it is not clear whether it can be used to reliably predict the presence of significant proteinuria.