Get tested with Superpower

If you’ve been postponing blood testing for years or feel frustrated by doctor appointments and limited lab panels, you are not alone. Standard healthcare is often reactive, focusing on testing only after symptoms appear or leaving patients in the dark.

Superpower flips that approach. We give you full insight into your body with over 100 biomarkers, personalized action plans, long-term tracking, and answers to your questions, so you can stay ahead of any health issues.

With physician-reviewed results, CLIA-certified labs, and the option for at-home blood draws, Superpower is designed for people who want clarity, convenience, and real accountability - all in one place.

Key benefits of Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) testing

• Measures how well your kidneys filter waste from your blood.
• Flags early kidney stress before you notice symptoms like fatigue or swelling.
• Explains unexplying confusion, nausea, or weakness tied to waste buildup.
• Guides medication dosing to protect kidneys from drug-related harm.
• Tracks kidney function over time if you have diabetes or hypertension.
• Clarifies dehydration severity when paired with creatinine levels.
• Supports heart failure management by monitoring fluid and kidney balance.
• Best interpreted with creatinine and your symptoms for complete kidney insight.

What is Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)?

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) measures the amount of nitrogen carried in your blood as part of urea, a waste product made in your liver. When your body breaks down protein from food or from your own tissues, it produces ammonia. Your liver converts this toxic ammonia into urea, a safer compound that travels through your bloodstream to your kidneys.

Your kidneys act as the body's filtration system

Healthy kidneys filter urea out of your blood and send it into your urine for removal. BUN reflects how well this filtration process is working. It also responds to how much protein you're breaking down and how well your liver is converting ammonia.

BUN tells a story about balance

When protein breakdown, liver function, and kidney filtration are all in harmony, BUN stays within a stable range. Changes in BUN can signal shifts in kidney performance, hydration status, or protein metabolism. It's a simple snapshot of a complex conversation between your diet, liver, kidneys, and overall fluid balance.

Why is Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) important?

Blood urea nitrogen measures the amount of nitrogen in your blood that comes from urea, a waste product your liver creates when it breaks down protein. Your kidneys filter this waste into urine, so BUN reflects how well your kidneys and liver are working together to process and eliminate metabolic byproducts. Normal values typically range from 7 to 20, with optimal levels sitting comfortably in the middle of that range.

When BUN drops below normal

Low BUN is uncommon but can signal inadequate protein intake, severe liver disease, or overhydration that dilutes blood concentration. Because the liver produces urea, advanced cirrhosis or hepatic failure may prevent normal urea formation. Pregnant women often have slightly lower BUN due to increased blood volume and enhanced kidney filtration.

When BUN climbs above normal

Elevated BUN usually points to reduced kidney function, dehydration, or excessive protein breakdown. When kidneys struggle to filter waste, urea accumulates in the bloodstream, which can cause fatigue, confusion, nausea, and in severe cases, uremic symptoms. High-protein diets, gastrointestinal bleeding, heart failure, and certain medications can also raise BUN without primary kidney damage.

The bigger metabolic picture

BUN connects kidney health, liver function, hydration status, and protein metabolism into one snapshot. Tracking it alongside creatinine helps distinguish true kidney impairment from temporary dehydration or dietary effects. Over time, persistently abnormal BUN may signal chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular strain, or metabolic imbalance that warrants closer investigation.

What do my Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) results mean?

Low BUN values

Low values usually reflect reduced urea production or increased clearance. This can occur with low protein intake, liver dysfunction that impairs the urea cycle, overhydration that dilutes blood concentration, or pregnancy when expanded blood volume and increased kidney filtration lower BUN naturally. Very low values may also appear in severe malnutrition or conditions affecting protein metabolism.

Optimal BUN values

Being in range suggests balanced protein metabolism, adequate liver synthesis of urea, and healthy kidney filtration. Optimal values typically sit in the mid to lower portion of the reference range, reflecting efficient nitrogen waste handling without excess protein breakdown or reduced kidney clearance. Stability over time indicates consistent metabolic and renal function.

High BUN values

High values usually reflect increased protein breakdown, reduced kidney filtration, or dehydration that concentrates the blood. Common causes include kidney impairment that slows urea clearance, dehydration from inadequate fluid intake or losses, high protein intake, gastrointestinal bleeding where digested blood adds nitrogen load, or catabolic states like infection or tissue injury. The kidneys may be functioning normally but overwhelmed by excess urea production.

Factors that influence BUN interpretation

BUN is influenced by hydration status, protein intake, muscle mass, age, and medications like diuretics or corticosteroids. It is often interpreted alongside creatinine to distinguish kidney dysfunction from pre-renal causes like dehydration. Pregnancy, acute illness, and recent high-protein meals can all shift values temporarily.