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Glucose in Urine (Urine Glucose): What Your Result Means

What the urine glucose pad measures, what a negative, trace, or positive result means, why blood sugar is checked next, and the less common causes of glucose in urine.

Published

August 10, 2024

Last updated

October 28, 2026

Read time

4 min read

Medically reviewed by

Rhonda Collins, FNP-C

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Glucose in urine usually means your blood sugar has risen high enough for the kidneys to stop holding all of it back. Diabetes is the most common cause. A positive urine glucose result does not diagnose anything on its own, so the usual next step is a blood glucose test ^[1].

What does a urine glucose test measure?

The urine glucose test is one pad on the routine urinalysis dipstick. Glucose is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys, but the kidney tubules normally reabsorb almost all of it and return it to the bloodstream, so urine contains very little or none ^[1][2].

When blood glucose rises above roughly 180 to 200 mg/dL, the transporters that reabsorb it are overwhelmed and glucose spills into the urine ^[3]. That is why urine glucose reflects blood sugar only once it is already well above normal.

On a Mito report this result appears as urine glucose, next to the other dipstick results such as urine ketones and urine protein.

What do negative, trace, and positive urine glucose results mean?

Urine glucose is reported as negative, as trace, or as a positive amount. Read your result against the reference range and units printed on your own report.

• Negative: the expected result, meaning little to no glucose was found. A negative result does not rule out diabetes, because urine glucose can be normal while blood glucose is high ^[1].
• Trace: a very faint reaction. Cleveland Clinic lists negative or trace as the normal finding for glucose on a urinalysis ^[4]. Small amounts of glucose in urine are considered normal, while more than about 25 mg/dL in a random fresh sample is considered increased ^[2].
• Positive: more glucose than normal is in the urine. The higher the amount, the stronger the reaction on the pad.

A small increase after a large meal is not always a cause for concern ^[5].

What causes glucose in urine?

Glucose appears in urine either because blood glucose is high or because the kidneys reabsorb glucose less well than usual ^[2].

• Diabetes. The most common cause of high urine glucose. In someone already diagnosed, it may mean diabetes is not well controlled ^[1].
• Pregnancy and gestational diabetes. Some glucose in urine is common in pregnancy, but high levels over time can be a sign of gestational diabetes ^[1][5].
• SGLT-2 inhibitor medicines, a class of type 2 diabetes drugs that can cause glucose in urine ^[3].
• Kidney tubule conditions, where glucose spills even with normal blood glucose. These include inherited renal glycosuria and Fanconi syndrome, both rare ^[1][2][3].
• A large meal, certain medicines, and vitamin C can also affect the result ^[1].

Can a urine glucose result be wrong?

Yes. Vitamin C, uric acid, and very concentrated urine can make the result read falsely low. Ketones and levodopa have been reported to cause a falsely positive reading ^[6].

What test follows a positive urine glucose result?

A blood test. Urine glucose testing is less accurate than blood testing, so diabetes is now diagnosed and monitored with blood tests ^[1]. A fasting glucose test shows your blood sugar at one point in time, and HbA1c reflects your longer-term average. If glucose and ketones both appear in urine, especially in someone with diabetes, check the ketone result and its warning signs promptly.

When should I talk with a clinician about glucose in urine?

Talk with your clinician about any positive urine glucose result, especially with symptoms of diabetes such as increased thirst and urination, increased hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, slow-healing sores, or weight loss without trying ^[1]. If you are pregnant, a positive result is worth raising with your prenatal care team ^[1].

Urine glucose testing with Mito

The Urinalysis, Routine Test includes the urine glucose pad along with ketones, protein, nitrite, and the other dipstick and microscopy results. Check the product page for current pricing and availability.

Related Urine Glucose Resources

• How to Improve Your Urine Glucose Level Naturally

References

1. MedlinePlus: Glucose in Urine Test
2. Liman MNP, Jialal I. Physiology, Glycosuria. StatPearls. 2023
3. Hitzeman N, Greer D, Carpio E. Office-Based Urinalysis: A Comprehensive Review. Am Fam Physician. 2022
4. Cleveland Clinic: Urinalysis
5. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Glucose urine test
6. Simerville JA, Maxted WC, Pahira JJ. Urinalysis: A Comprehensive Review. Am Fam Physician. 2005