What do your BUN levels mean?

The short answer

Nobody we follow has said what your BUN should be. It comes up on the shows, but never with a number.

Your lab prints 7–20 mg/dL. That range exists to catch disease, not to describe your best.

What BUN measures

Urea nitrogen, a waste product from digesting protein that your kidneys filter out.

It rises when your kidneys clear less. Dehydration and a high-protein diet raise it too, which is why it goes alongside creatinine.

Checked against MedlinePlus — BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen).

Common questions

What is a normal BUN level?

Most US labs print 7–20 mg/dL. Your report grades you against that range. It exists to catch disease, not to describe your best.

What does your BUN number mean?

Under 7 mg/dL, your report marks it low. Between 7 and 20 it prints as normal. Over 20, your report marks it high. Nobody we follow has drawn a line inside that range.

What does the BUN test measure?

Urea nitrogen, a waste product from digesting protein that your kidneys filter out. It rises when your kidneys clear less. Dehydration and a high-protein diet raise it too, which is why it goes alongside creatinine.

Why is there no target here?

Because nobody we follow has named a number for BUN. If that changes, it will be here.