Creatine is a compound naturally created by our body to produce the energy needed for muscle contraction. When your muscles break down creatine, a waste product called creatinine is formed. Your kidneys excrete almost all the creatinine in your...
Your GFR, or glomerular filtration rate, is an indicator of how well your kidneys are working. A test estimates how much blood passes through your glomeruli, which are tiny filters in your kidneys, each minute. While a reduction in your kidney...
The purpose of the kidneys is to filter out and process waste from the blood. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse states that the kidneys process 200 qt. of blood every day and sift out about 2 qt. of waste...
The kidneys function in your body by removing waste and excess water from your blood. Medical professionals calculate the glomerular filtration rate, or GFR, to measure the rate at which your kidneys filter blood waste. If you have a low GFR, you...
Elevated creatine levels in the body are detected through increased creatinine found in the blood or urine through lab testing. Creatine is muscle fuel for the human body. This amino acid is produced by the liver, kidneys and pancreas and obtained...
When going to the doctor, you may go through a battery of exams to assess your overall health. Kidney tests, especially for individuals with diabetes or hypertension, are important for assessing the health of your kidneys. The National Kidney...
Kidney stones are one of the most common urinary tract disorders, causing about 3 million doctor visits each year, according to the National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, or NKUDIC. Stones are a complication for 1 in...
Excess protein in the kidney is called proteinuria. This is tested in the urine and can also be called albuminuria or urine albumin. Most proteins are too big to pass through the glomeruli, or the kidney filters. When these filters are damaged,...
Protein in the blood comes in many forms, with the most typically measured being the protein albumin. Albumin deficiencies can be caused by malnutrition, extreme calorie cutting, and renal or liver problems. Bulking up on lean protein in your...
Nearly 6,400 living donors gave kidneys to another person in 2009, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Donors undergo rigorous physical and psychological testing prior to surgery and cannot have serious health issues of their own,...
Renal insufficiency occurs when the kidneys are not able to function properly, and can no longer adequately filter waste from the body. Renal insufficiency may be acute (acute renal failure) or chronic (chronic kidney disease). The Medical College...
Various high-protein diets have been promoted for weight loss without regard to the negative health effects they may have on people prone to kidney problems. If your kidneys are not functioning properly, a high-protein diet can cause further...
Newly diagnosed kidney patients are usually bursting with questions about diet. Dietary changes may not be necessary in the early stages of disease, especially if urine protein levels are low and hypertension is not a problem. However, as kidney...
The kidneys belong to the endocrine system and are responsible for filtering wastes and fluid from the blood, which are then excreted in the urine. The rate at which the kidneys function is referred to as the glomerular filtration rate. Those with...
Your blood acts as the main means of transport for several different substances in your body. By traveling through your blood serum, nutrients are able to reach their destination cells and waste products are carried away. Among the many chemicals...
Kidney disease occurs when the kidneys are unable to perform their function of filtering excess fluids and waste from the blood. As the disease progresses, waste builds up in the blood and damages other organs. The National Kidney Foundation...
Tracking your lab values over time gets to be second nature if you are a kidney patient. By following your creatinine and urine protein levels, you can figure out how the disease is progressing. This information also provide clues as to how much...
Chronic kidney disease -- often referred to as CKD -- is a condition where your kidney function is impaired. This disease often is measured in terms of stages, which indicate to what level your kidney function has been affected. Because the...
There are a wide range of kidney problems that can result in permanent damage to the kidney filtration units or kidney tissue. Many of these signs can only be identified by a physician, but they are often accompanied by symptoms that are...
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure. According to the 2009 Annual Data Report of the United States Renal Data System, 197,037 of the 527,283 U.S. residents under treatment, or slightly more than 37 percent, needed treatment because of...
Diseases that affect the kidney can be difficult for a patient or doctor to diagnose without using a variety of diagnostic tests. Kidney function tests are defined by the Encyclopedia of Surgery as a variety of procedures that evaluate whether a...
Your kidneys are the blood filtering organs located on both sides of your spine and just under your rib cage. They are responsible for removing excess molecules, such as electrolytes like sodium and potassium, glucose, urea, water and other toxic...
The National Kidney Foundation reports that someone with a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to 59 mL/min has stage three kidney disease. GFR measures how well the kidneys filter wastes out of the blood. In stage three of chronic kidney...
Your kidneys are responsible for filtering the wastes and toxins out of your blood that are then excreted through your urine. The waste-filtering process of your kidneys is also known as your renal function and tends to decline as you age....
According to the National Kidney Foundation, more than 20 million Americans have chronic kidney disease, with millions more at an increased risk. One way to help to prevent kidney conditions before they even start is through diet, especially since...
Chronic kidney disease is when you kidney is no longer functioning at 100 percent. CKD has five stages with stage I being the start of kidney disease and stage 5 being kidney failure requiring dialysis. Your stage of kidney disease is determined...
Exercise is good for your heart and lungs, but it also benefits your kidneys. The kidneys are part of a complex process that removes waste products and excess fluids from your body and maintains other vital functions. During exercise, your kidneys...
If your kidney function is approximately 60 percent, you should ask your nephrologist if you can make any dietary adjustments to help preserve the function you have. His answer will be governed by your laboratory results and blood pressure. There...
You may think diet sodas offer advantages over sugar-sweetened beverages. While diet sodas have virtually no calories, they have disadvantages that may make you reconsider consuming them. Over time, the human body developed an effective means of...
