What does the Copper (Urine) test measure?

Why is Copper (Urine) measured?

Urinary copper is critical in the diagnosis and monitoring of Wilson disease (typically >100 μg/24 h, or proportionally in spot samples). In other contexts, elevated urinary copper may be seen with hepatocellular necrosis releasing stored copper or with high-dose supplementation. Low urinary copper has no established clinical significance.

Reference ranges

Standard reference

Laboratory-specific; typically 10–50 μg/g creatinine.

Functional medicine optimal

For Wilson disease screening, values well above the reference range are diagnostic; for nutritional assessment, serum copper and caeruloplasmin are more informative.

Units

μg/g creatinine

Reference ranges vary by laboratory and assay platform. Interpret in context of the issuing laboratory's stated range.