Did you know that kidney disease is most often insidious, meaning that signs and symptoms will not be visible until it may be too late? An estimated 8million people in South Africa are suffering from early to late stage kidney disease, many of them unaware of the disease.
Kidney disease progresses over time and could eventually lead to renal failure, which is fatal unless the patient receives a kidney transplant or dialysis to replace the kidney function. In 66% of cases, the progression of kidney disease can be halted if detected early enough, through a simple urine test. Easy and convenient, with a simple dipstick.
A conventional blood test will detect kidney disease when the kidneys have already lost approximately 50% function and irreversible damage has already been done, whereas a urine test would detect a type of protein called albumin indicating that the kidney could be damaged. A measurement of 150mg per day or less is considered normal, but a result higher than this, would require further investigation.
Further screening would include blood tests such as a Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) – a blood test that provides an estimated rate at which the kidneys are filtering liquids and waste. This is done by analyzing the serum creatinine, a waste product from normal muscle use, and factoring in the gender, body size, age and weight. A further analysis measuring the levels of urea nitrogen in the blood (BUN)resulting from proteins in foods consumed, could also be performed. Other diagnostic processes could include a kidney biopsy, ultrasound imaging or CT scans.
The Kidney Protect specialist team are on standby to provide a urine analysis, provide guidance on further diagnostic processes and provide a treatment plan according to your needs. Contact Kidney Protect on info@kidney-protect.com for information on the closest clinic in your area.
