Urine Specific Gravity (U-SG)

What is Urine Specific Gravity?

Urine specific gravity measures how concentrated your urine is compared to pure water. It reflects your kidney’s ability to concentrate urine and indicates your hydration status, helping evaluate kidney function and fluid balance.

Why is it Tested?

Healthcare providers use specific gravity to assess kidney concentrating ability, evaluate hydration status, and monitor patients with kidney disease or diabetes. It helps distinguish between dilute and concentrated urine when interpreting other urine test results.

Normal Ranges

Normal specific gravity ranges:

Normal: 1.005–1.030
Low (dilute): Less than 1.005
High (concentrated): Greater than 1.030

Values vary with hydration, time of day, and kidney function. Morning samples are typically more concentrated.

Reference ranges vary by authority. Track yours across multiple standards with automatic unit conversions in LabsVault.

What do Abnormal Results Mean?

Abnormal results are not a diagnosis. Always discuss your results with a qualified healthcare provider before making any medical decisions.

Low Specific Gravity (<1.005)

Dilute urine may indicate:

Excessive fluid intake
Diabetes insipidus
Kidney disease affecting concentrating ability
Certain medications (diuretics)
Chronic kidney failure

High Specific Gravity (>1.030)

Concentrated urine may suggest:

Dehydration
Diabetes mellitus with glucose in urine
Heart failure
Liver disease
Inadequate fluid intake
Fever or excessive sweating

How to Track Over Time

Monitoring specific gravity patterns helps assess kidney function changes and hydration habits. Consistently low values may indicate kidney concentrating defects, while persistently high values suggest chronic dehydration or underlying medical conditions affecting fluid balance.