Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Ketones - Results
About this test
A ketone test checks for substances made when the body breaks down fat for energy (ketones).
Normal: | There are no ketones in your blood or urine. |
|---|---|
Abnormal: | Ketones are present in your blood or urine. |
Urine test
If either the test strip or the urine changes color when the tablet is dropped into the sample, ketones are present in your urine sample. The test results are read as negative to 1+ to 4+ or small to large.
High values
You may have ketones in your urine if you:
- Have poorly controlled diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.
- Are on a very low-carbohydrate or high-fat diet.
- Are starving or have an eating disorder, including disorders that result in poor nutrition such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, alcoholism, or poisoning from drinking rubbing alcohol (isopropanol).
- Have not eaten (fasted) for 18 hours or longer.
- Are pregnant. But a moderate amount of ketones in a pregnant woman may harm the fetus and may be an indication of gestational diabetes.
The level of ketones, and not just the presence of ketones, may be important to your doctor as well. Many conditions can change ketone levels. Fasting usually causes only mild increases in the level, but ketone levels in diabetic ketoacidosis are much higher. Your doctor will discuss any significant abnormal results with you in relation to your symptoms and past health.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: July 14, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine David C.W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:
- Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
- Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
- Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.
The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.
How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?
Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.
How do I save content to my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.
How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.
How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.
To manage your Care Circle, Please
Sign In.
from
- A baby made in India: a couple's dream comes true
- 9 nastiest things in your supermarket
- Facebook is now fueling organ donations
- Military women and suicide: Home safe but not sound
- Still in gear: Injuries don’t stop veterans on 100-day bike trek
- Ask Jenna: I've hit a weight loss plateau. What do I do?
The iVillage Network