You feel fine up to the point that kidney function is almost gone, which means you can lead a normal life with reduced kidney function. On the other hand, lack of early warning from symptoms can deny you the chance to slow the slide.
As part of standard blood tests, your doctor can check the creatinine level to assess kidney function. Creatinine is released from muscle cells into the blood stream. Creatinine is one of the things that the kidneys filter from the blood. If the kidneys start to lose some function, blood creatinine level rises. The creatinine level is used to calculate an estimate of the GFR and provide an estimate of your kidney function. Most people who have a minor reduction in kidney function can take steps to not keep the kidneys from getting worse.
If the function is somewhat low but stable, you may need to see your doctor only once per year. If the GFR is declining or it is already under 50, it's best to see a kidney doctor, if for no other reason than to become educated.
High blood pressure can cause tiny cracks in the lining of arteries, which provide a breeding ground for fatty deposits that hamper blood flow. As the arteries that feed blood to the kidneys narrow, the body produces renin, a hormone that makes small arteries narrow further. This worsens high blood pressure, causing even more kidney damage. Over time, restricted blood flow can damage or destroy the nephrons, the tiny filtering units inside your kidneys.
Keep your blood pressure and blood sugar within norms. This will help slow the decline in kidney function. Lower your cholesterol.
Taking a statin medication to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol may help to protect the kidneys. Also, individuals with reduced kidney function are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, so reducing cardiac risk factors is important.
This calculation is known as your estimated glomerular filtration rate eGFR. You may have CKD if your rate is lower than this.
Alongside your eGFR, urine tests can help give a more accurate picture of how well your kidneys are working. Sometimes other tests are also used to assess the level of damage to your kidneys. Your test results can be used to determine how damaged your kidneys are, known as the stage of CKD.
This can help your doctor decide the best treatment for you and how often you should have tests to monitor your condition. August 12, , am EDT. Estimated GFR - Measures kidney function, over 60 is normal, under 60, talk to your doctor.
GFR, or glomerular filtration rate , tells you how well your kidneys are doing their job of filtering the blood. Albumin to Creatinine Ratio - Estimates the amount of protein found in your urine in a day. Protein in the urine is one of the earliest signs of kidney disease. It can also be a sign that your kidneys are already impaired.
The only way to know whether your blood pressure is high is to have a health professional measure it with a blood pressure cuff. The result is expressed as two numbers. The top number, which is called the systolic pressure, represents the pressure when your heart is beating. The bottom number, which is called the diastolic pressure, shows the pressure when your heart is resting between beats.
Healthy kidneys take wastes out of the blood but leave protein. Impaired kidneys may fail to separate a blood protein called albumin from the wastes. At first, only small amounts of albumin may leak into the urine, a condition known as microalbuminuria, a sign of deteriorating kidney function.
As kidney function worsens, the amount of albumin and other proteins in the urine increases, and the condition is called proteinuria. The color of the dipstick indicates the presence or absence of proteinuria. A more sensitive test for protein or albumin in the urine involves laboratory measurement and calculation of the protein-to-creatinine or albumin-to-creatinine ratio.
This test should be used to detect kidney disease in people at high risk, especially those with diabetes. If your first laboratory test shows high levels of protein, another test should be done 1 to 2 weeks later.
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