These indicators on the physical examination report may be the "distress signals" sent by the kidneys!

In the fast-paced modern life, regular physical examinations have gradually become an important way for everyone to pay attention to their own health. When you get the physical examination report, the dense indicators and data are dazzling. Among them, some indicators seem ordinary, but they may be the kidneys sending you a "help signal". The kidneys are important excretory and endocrine organs of the human body. Once problems occur, they will have a profound impact on the health of the whole body. Understanding these indicators can help us detect the signs of kidney disease in time and buy precious time for early intervention and treatment.

Urinalysis related indicators

1. Urine protein : Under normal circumstances, urine contains only a very small amount of protein, and routine urine tests are generally negative. Once the test results show that urine protein is positive, it needs to be taken seriously. This may be a manifestation of impaired glomerular filtration function of the kidneys, and proteins that cannot pass through the glomerular filtration membrane leak into the urine. Persistent proteinuria is an important sign of kidney disease, and is common in glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive nephropathy, etc. Microalbuminuria is a sensitive indicator of early kidney damage. In diabetic patients, monitoring microalbuminuria is crucial for the early detection of diabetic nephropathy.

2. Urine occult blood : A positive urine occult blood test means that there are red blood cells in the urine, which may not be detected by the naked eye and needs to be discovered through laboratory testing. This may be caused by lesions of the urinary system such as the kidneys, ureters, and bladder, such as glomerulonephritis, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections. In glomerulonephritis, the glomerular basement membrane is damaged, and red blood cells enter the urine from the blood; kidney stones can scratch the urinary tract mucosa, causing bleeding; urinary tract infections can cause mucosal congestion and edema, and hematuria may also occur. However, when women undergo routine urine tests during their menstrual period, false positive results may occur due to contamination of urine with menstrual blood, so reexamination is very important.

3. Urine specific gravity : Urine specific gravity reflects the kidney's ability to concentrate and dilute urine. The urine specific gravity of a normal adult is between 1.015 and 1.025. If the urine specific gravity is continuously lower than 1.010, it may indicate that the kidney's concentration function is impaired, which is common in diseases such as chronic pyelonephritis and chronic renal failure. If the urine specific gravity is continuously higher than 1.030, it may be related to factors such as dehydration and diabetes, but it may also be due to kidney disease that causes abnormal urine concentration.

Kidney function related indicators

1. Serum creatinine : Serum creatinine is a product of muscle metabolism and is mainly excreted through the kidneys. Under normal circumstances, the level of serum creatinine is relatively stable. When kidney function is impaired, the excretion of creatinine decreases and the level of serum creatinine increases. Serum creatinine is one of the important indicators reflecting kidney function, but its increase usually occurs when kidney function is severely impaired. Generally, when the glomerular filtration rate drops below 50% of the normal level, the serum creatinine will increase significantly. Therefore, we cannot rely solely on serum creatinine to detect kidney disease early, but also need to combine other indicators for comprehensive judgment.

2. Urea nitrogen : Urea nitrogen is the end product of protein metabolism and is also mainly excreted through the kidneys. Blood urea nitrogen levels are affected by many factors, such as high-protein diet, fever, gastrointestinal bleeding and other non-renal factors that may also increase it. However, after excluding these factors, elevated urea nitrogen often indicates renal impairment. However, similar to blood creatinine, urea nitrogen is less sensitive to early kidney disease.

3. Cystatin C : In recent years, cystatin C has attracted extensive attention as a new indicator of renal function. It is a low molecular weight protein that is almost completely filtered by the glomerulus and is not affected by factors such as gender, age, and muscle mass. Therefore, cystatin C can reflect changes in glomerular filtration function earlier and more sensitively than blood creatinine and urea nitrogen, and has important value in the diagnosis of early kidney disease.

Other indicators

1. Blood uric acid : As mentioned earlier, high uric acid levels are harmful to the kidneys, and this is also true here. Elevated blood uric acid levels are not only associated with gout, but are also closely related to kidney disease. Hyperuricemia can lead to the deposition of urate crystals in the kidneys, causing interstitial nephritis, uric acid urinary stones and other diseases, which in turn damage kidney function. Therefore, if elevated blood uric acid is found during a physical examination, it is necessary to adjust the lifestyle in a timely manner and, if necessary, take medication to lower blood uric acid levels and protect the kidneys.

2. β2- microglobulin : β2-microglobulin is a small molecule protein that can be freely filtered through the glomerulus and is almost completely reabsorbed and decomposed in the proximal renal tubule. When the renal tubular function is impaired, the excretion of β2-microglobulin in the urine increases; and when the glomerular filtration function is impaired, the level of β2-microglobulin in the blood increases. Therefore, the detection of β2-microglobulin in blood and urine can help to detect renal tubular and glomerular lesions at an early stage.

These indicators in the physical examination report are an important window for us to understand kidney health. When these indicators are found to be abnormal, don't panic, but never ignore them. You should consult a doctor in time for further examination and diagnosis to detect and treat kidney disease early, protect our kidneys, and keep our bodies healthy. Regular physical examinations and paying attention to changes in indicators are key steps to protect kidney health.