Compared with other organs, the kidneys have the function of secreting and excreting urine and various metabolic waste.
It is understood that the human body produces a large amount of waste products every day, and these substances will be excreted from the body with the circulation of blood and the metabolism of the kidneys, so as to effectively maintain the balance of water and osmotic pressure in the body.
However, if the patient accidentally suffers from an external infection, or suffers from metabolic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, it will cause damage to the kidney function.
Therefore, in normal times, patients should strengthen the protection of the kidneys and go to the hospital regularly for renal function tests.
However, many patients do not know much about the various indicators on the renal function test sheet, so it is difficult to accurately judge the patient's condition. Here are four common indicators of the kidneys.
1. Blood creatinine
The concentration of creatinine in the blood can reflect the filtration of the glomeruli to some extent. Because creatinine has a relatively small molecular weight, it is excreted directly through the renal tubules after glomerular filtration.
Generally speaking, the metabolism of muscles in the human body is stable, and if the usual eating habits are relatively regular, then the amount of blood creatinine production is unlikely to change. As a result, the glomeruli filtering capacity, which affects the level of creatinine in the blood.
If the patient has kidney disease, the filtration rate of the renal tubules decreases, resulting in an increase in the concentration of creatinine in the blood. When patients have anemia and liver dysfunction, the blood creatinine level in the body will be reduced.
2. Serum urea
Serum urea, the main metabolite of protein, is filtered through the glomeruli and then excreted in the urine. If a person's kidneys are damaged, the glomerular filtration rate decreases, which increases the concentration of serum urea in the blood.
Compared with other indicators, this data is not suitable for early screening of kidney disease. Once the serum urea level increases, it means that the disease is very serious, and at least half of the units in the kidney area have been damaged.
In addition, it is important to note that serum urea may also be elevated after surgery. In this regard, patients should be distinguished in time.
3. Urea nitrogen
Urea nitrogen is a metabolite of protein, and in general, 1g of protein will produce 0.3g of urea nitrogen after metabolism. As urea nitrogen is formed, it is filtered through the glomeruli and absorbed by the renal tubules.
Therefore, the excretion of urea nitrogen is not only affected by the glomerular filtration rate, but also by the renal tubules, so the production of this substance is not stable, and it is easily disturbed by external stimuli and diseases.
Because of this, this index can only be used as a reference for renal function tests, and if it is necessary to diagnose the disease, it is necessary to combine it with other indicators to make a comprehensive judgment.
4. Cystatin C
Cystatin C refers to a small protein that is mainly found in the blood inside the body.
Generally speaking, the production rate of this substance is relatively stable, and it has nothing to do with changes in factors such as gender, age or physical fitness, and is not likely to be affected by other factors, plus the kidney is the main excretory organ, once the urine is filtered by the glomeruli, then it will basically no longer be recycled by the renal tubules.
Therefore, to a certain extent, the specific value of cystatin C will directly reflect the specific situation of kidney function.
These are just a few of the important indicators about the kidneys. In addition to regular monitoring of the above indicators, patients should also strengthen their daily care, drink as much water as possible every day, and replenish water in time to better protect the health of their kidneys.
At the same time, patients should also maintain a good diet and eat more vitamin-rich foods, but it should be noted that they should try to avoid long-term intake of large amounts of protein, so as not to cause metabolic burden on the kidneys.
In addition, patients should not abuse various drugs and health products in their lives, and strictly follow the doctor's guidance to reduce the damage of the drug itself to the kidneys.