Get Tested Early, Keep Kidneys Healthy

Kidney disease currently affects around 850 million people worldwide and one in ten adults has chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is projected to become the 5th most common cause of life lost globally in 2040, posing a great challenge to global health.

 However, many people are unaware of their impaired kidney function and the importance of regular basic diagnosis of their kidney function in keeping their kidneys healthy.

Get Tested – The Only Way to Know Your Kidney Health

The kidneys play a vital role in keeping our body functioning properly. One of the major functions of kidneys known to most of us is that they reabsorb important nutrients and most of the water for the body to use and remove wastes and extra fluids from our body. When the kidneys are damaged, the wastes and extra fluids can build up, causing a series of health problems.

It’s important to note that the beginning stage of kidney disease often shows no symptoms. The only way to know whether your kidneys are functioning well is to get tested. Testing can help to evaluate the function of kidneys to enable early access to diagnosis and treatment, helping prevent kidney disease and the progression to end-stage kidney failure which is life-threatening and requires artificial filtering or a kidney transplant.

Microalbumin Test – Detect Early Signs of Kidney Damage

In healthy kidneys, most proteins like albumin usually cannot be passed through the kidney and go into the urine. The damaged kidneys can. Therefore, when a certain level of albumin is found in your urine, it can be an early sign of kidney damage.

A microalbumin test is a simple and rapid urine test that can detect very small levels of albumin in a urine sample – at levels so small that a regular urine test might not find them.

Who needs a microalbumin test?

Checking kidney health regularly is crucial for everyone, especially for people who are at high risk of developing kidney diseases, such as those having diabetes and high blood pressure.

Diabetes: Diabetes can cause damage to kidneys, thus affecting the normal working of kidneys. For diabetic patients, doctors might recommend a microalbumin test once a year.

High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure damages the vessels of the kidney, resulting in the release of albumin into the urine. For people with high blood pressure, more regular microalbumin tests are recommended.

If you have a family history of kidney disease, you may also need to get tested.

How are test results interpreted?

• Results of the microalbumin test are measured as milligrams (mg) of protein leakage over 24 hours. Generally, they indicate the following:
• Less than 30mg is normal.
• 30-300mg may indicate early kidney disease
• More than 300mg indicates more advanced kidney disease
• But several factors can affect microalbumin results, such as:
• Fever
• Blood in the urine/hematuria
• Urinary tract infection
• Recent vigorous exercise
• Some medicines
• Other kidney diseases

Kidney damage usually cannot be fixed but finding the problem of our kidneys and getting the treatment as early as possible can effectively protect us from the bigger problem in the future. It is a way to love ourselves and the family.

Reference: www.en.wondfo.com.cn