Chronic kidney disease is very hidden, these physical examination indicators are very important to you

Chronic kidney disease is like an "invisible killer" hidden in the body. The early symptoms are often not obvious. Many patients do not notice it until the disease develops to the middle or late stage, missing the best time for treatment. Some key indicators in the physical examination are like a "barometer" of kidney health, which can help us detect kidney problems early. The following will introduce these crucial physical examination indicators.

Urine routine indicators

Urine protein

Under normal circumstances, there is only a very small amount of protein in the urine, and the urine routine test is negative. Once the filtering function of the kidney is impaired, protein will leak into the urine, making the urine protein positive. Persistent urine protein is an important sign of kidney disease, and even microalbuminuria may indicate early kidney disease. For example, an originally healthy middle-aged man was found to have weakly positive urine protein during a physical examination. After further examination, he was diagnosed with early chronic glomerulonephritis. The more urine protein there is, the more severe the kidney damage may be, and long-term large amounts of proteinuria will accelerate the progression of kidney disease.

Urine occult blood

Positive urine occult blood means the presence of red blood cells in the urine, which may be caused by bleeding in the kidneys, urinary tract, etc. Of course, pollution during women's menstrual period, strenuous exercise, etc. may also cause transient urine occult blood, but if the urine occult blood remains positive after these factors are excluded, you need to be highly alert to kidney diseases, such as glomerulonephritis, urinary stones, etc. Some patients cannot see hematuria with the naked eye, so even if the physical examination finds positive urine occult blood, they do not pay attention to it. As a result, the disease gradually develops and kidney damage continues to worsen.

Renal function index

Serum creatinine

Serum creatinine is a product of muscle metabolism and is mainly excreted through the kidneys. When kidney function is normal, serum creatinine is maintained at a relatively stable level. The normal range for men is generally 53-106μmol/L, and for women it is 44-97μmol/L. When kidney function declines, the ability to excrete creatinine weakens, and serum creatinine rises. However, serum creatinine is affected by factors such as age, gender, and muscle mass, and only when kidney function is impaired by more than 50% will serum creatinine rise significantly. Therefore, it cannot sensitively reflect early kidney disease, but it is very important for assessing the overall condition of kidney function.

Urea nitrogen

Urea nitrogen is also a commonly used indicator of kidney function. Urea nitrogen is produced by protein metabolism in the body and excreted through the kidneys. When kidney function declines, urea nitrogen will accumulate and increase in the body. However, urea nitrogen is easily affected by factors such as dietary protein intake and gastrointestinal bleeding. For example, after eating a large amount of high-protein food, urea nitrogen may increase temporarily, so it is necessary to combine other indicators to comprehensively judge kidney function.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

Glomerular filtration rate is the core indicator for evaluating kidney function. It can more accurately reflect the kidney's ability to filter waste and excess water in the blood. The GFR value is obtained through formula calculation or special examination, and the normal range is generally 90-120ml/min/1.73m². GFR below 60ml/min/1.73m² indicates varying degrees of kidney function damage; below 15ml/min/1.73m² indicates the uremia stage. Compared with blood creatinine, GFR can detect abnormal kidney function earlier.

Other indicators

Serum uric acid

Uric acid is excreted through the kidneys. When kidney function is impaired, uric acid excretion decreases and blood uric acid levels increase. At the same time, hyperuricemia can in turn damage the kidneys, forming a vicious cycle. Long-term high uric acid levels can also cause urate crystals to deposit in the kidneys, causing gouty nephropathy. Therefore, if abnormally high blood uric acid levels are found during a physical examination, kidney health should also be paid attention to.

Have regular physical examinations and pay attention to these kidney-related indicators. Once any abnormalities are found, further examinations and treatments will be carried out in a timely manner. This will allow you to detect the hidden development of chronic kidney disease in time, gain more protection opportunities for kidney health, and effectively delay the progression of the disease.