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Article title: Your Kidneys and How They Work: NIDDK
Conditions: Kidney
Source: NIDDK
Your two kidneys are vital organs, performing many functions to keep your blood clean and chemically balanced. Understanding how your kidneys work can help you to keep them healthy.
| The kidneys remove wastes and extra water from the blood to form urine. Urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through the ureters. |
Your kidneys are bean-shaped organs, each about the size of your fist. They are located near the middle of your back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines. Every day, your kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about 2 quarts of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to your bladder through tubes called ureters. Your bladder stores urine until you go to the bathroom.
The wastes in your blood come from the normal breakdown of active tissues and from the food you eat. Your body uses the food for energy and self-repair. After your body has taken what it needs from the food, waste is sent to the blood. If your kidneys did not remove these wastes, the wastes would build up in the blood and damage your body.
The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside your kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In the nephron, a glomerulus--which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary--intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system.
At first, the tubules receive a combination of waste materials and chemicals that your body can still use. Your kidneys measure out chemicals like sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and release them back to the blood to return to the body. In this way, your kidneys regulate the body's level of these substances. The right balance is necessary for life, but excess levels can be harmful.D
| In the nephron (left), tiny blood vessels intertwine with urine-collecting tubes. Each kidney contains about 1 million nephrons. |
In addition to removing wastes, your kidneys release three important hormones:
Your health care team may talk about the work your kidneys do as renal function. If you have two healthy kidneys, you have 100 percent of your renal function. This is more renal function than you really need. Some people are born with only one kidney, and these people are able to lead normal, healthy lives. Many people donate a kidney for transplantation to a family member or friend. Small declines in renal function do not cause a problem. In fact, you can be healthy with 50 percent of your renal function if it remains stable.
But many people with 50 percent of their renal function have a kidney disease that will get worse. You will have some serious health problems if you have less than 20 percent of your renal function. If your renal function drops below 10 to 15 percent, you cannot live long without some form of renal replacement therapy--either dialysis or transplantation.
Most kidney diseases attack the nephrons, causing them to lose their filtering capacity. Damage to the nephrons may happen quickly, often as the result of injury or poisoning. But most kidney diseases destroy the nephrons slowly and silently. It may take years or even decades for the damage to become apparent.
The two most common causes of kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure. If your family has a history of any kind of kidney problems, you may be at risk for kidney disease.
Diabetic nephropathy
Diabetes is a disease that keeps the
body from using glucose (sugar) as it should. If glucose stays in your
blood instead of breaking down, it can act like a poison. Damage to the
nephrons from unused glucose in the blood is called diabetic nephropathy.
If you keep your blood glucose levels down, you can delay or prevent
diabetic nephropathy.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure can damage the small
blood vessels in your kidneys. The damaged vessels cannot filter poisons
from your blood as they are supposed to.
Your doctor may prescribe blood pressure medication. A group of blood pressure medicines called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been found to protect the kidneys even more than other medicines that lower blood pressure to similar levels. A related group of drugs called ARBs may also be effective. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends that people with reduced kidney function--anyone who has 1 gram or more of protein in a 24-hour urine collection--should keep their blood pressure at or below 125/75 mm Hg.
Glomerulonephritis
Several different types of kidney disease
are grouped together under this category. Protein, blood, or both in the
urine are often the first signs of these diseases. They can slowly destroy
kidney function. Blood pressure control is important, and different
treatments for the different types of glomerulonephritis may be used.
Inherited and congenital kidney diseases
Some kidney diseases
result from hereditary factors. Polycystic kidney disease (PKD),
for example, is a genetic disorder in which many cysts grow in the
kidneys. PKD cysts can slowly replace much of the mass of the kidneys,
reducing kidney function and leading to kidney failure.
Some kidney problems may show up when a child is still developing in the womb. Examples include autosomal recessive PKD, a rare form of PKD, and other developmental problems that interfere with the normal formation of the nephrons. The signs of kidney disease in children vary. A child may grow unusually slowly, may vomit often, or may have back or side pain. Some kidney diseases may be "silent" for months or even years.
If your child has a kidney disease, your child's doctor should find it during a regular checkup. Be sure your child sees a doctor regularly. The first sign of a kidney problem may be high blood pressure, a low number of red blood cells (anemia), or blood or protein in the child's urine. If the doctor finds any of these problems, further tests may be necessary, including additional blood and urine tests or radiology studies. In some cases, the doctor may need to perform a biopsy--removing a piece of the kidney for inspection under a microscope.
Some hereditary kidney diseases may not be detected until adulthood. The most common form of PKD was once called "adult PKD" because the symptoms of high blood pressure and renal failure usually do not occur until patients are in their twenties or thirties. But with advances in diagnostic imaging technology, doctors have found cysts in children and adolescents before any symptoms appear.
Other causes of kidney disease
Poisons and trauma, for
example a direct and forceful blow to your kidneys, can lead to kidney
disease.
Some over-the-counter medicines can be poisonous to your kidneys if taken regularly over a long period of time. Products that combine aspirin, acetaminophen, and other medicines such as ibuprofen have been found to be the most dangerous to the kidneys. If you take painkillers regularly, check with your doctor to make sure you are not putting your kidneys at risk.
Many factors that influence the speed of kidney failure are not completely understood. Researchers are still studying how protein in the diet and cholesterol levels in the blood affect kidney function.
Acute renal failure
Some kidney problems happen quickly, like
an accident that injures the kidneys. Losing a lot of blood can cause
sudden kidney failure. Some drugs or poisons can make your kidneys stop
working. These sudden drops in kidney function are called acute renal
failure (ARF).
ARF may lead to permanent loss of kidney function. But if your kidneys are not seriously damaged, acute renal failure may be reversed.
Chronic kidney disease
Most kidney problems, however, happen
slowly. You may have "silent" kidney disease for years. Gradual loss of
kidney function is called chronic renal failure or chronic renal
disease.
End-stage renal disease
The condition of total or nearly
total and permanent kidney failure is called end-stage renal disease
(ESRD). People with ESRD must undergo dialysis or transplantation to stay
alive.
People in the early stages of kidney disease may not feel sick at all. The first signs that you are sick may be general: frequent headaches or feeling tired or itchy all over your body.
If your kidney disease gets worse, you may need to urinate more often or less often. You may lose your appetite or experience nausea and vomiting. Your hands or feet may swell or feel numb. You may get drowsy or have trouble concentrating. Your skin may darken. You may have muscle cramps.
First, your doctor will probably send blood and urine samples to a lab to test for substances that should not be there. If the blood contains too much creatinine or urea nitrogen and the urine contains protein, your kidneys may not be functioning properly.
Creatinine
Creatinine is a waste product in the blood created
by the normal breakdown of muscle during activity. Healthy kidneys take
creatinine out of the blood and put it in the urine to leave the body.
When kidneys are not working well, creatinine builds up in the blood.
In the lab, your blood will be tested to see how many milligrams of creatinine are in one deciliter of blood (mg/dL). Creatinine levels in the blood can vary, and each laboratory has its own normal range. In many labs, the normal creatinine range is 0.6 to 1.2 mg/dL. If your creatinine level is only slightly above this normal range, you probably will not feel sick, but the elevation is a sign that your kidneys are not working at full strength. One formula for estimating kidney function equates a creatinine level of 1.7 mg/dL for most men and 1.4 mg/dL for most women to 50 percent of normal kidney function. But, because creatinine values are so variable and can be affected by diet, you may need to have your creatinine measured regularly to see whether your kidney function is decreasing.
The doctor may refer to the measure of creatinine in your blood as your serum creatinine. Do not confuse your serum creatinine number with your creatinine clearance number.
Creatinine clearance
Creatinine clearance is a measure of how
fast your kidneys remove creatinine from the blood. Clearance is measured
in milliliters per minute (mL/min). Doctors used to require a 24-hour
collection of urine to measure creatinine clearance directly, but they
have discovered a formula that uses your serum creatinine measurement,
your age, weight, BUN (see below), and race to calculate your creatinine
clearance accurately.
For men, a normal creatinine clearance rate is 97 to 137 mL/min. For women, the normal rate is 88 to 128 mL/min. If your number is below this normal range, your kidneys are not working at full strength.
Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
Blood carries protein for use by
cells throughout the body. After the cells use the protein, the remaining
waste product is returned to the blood as urea, a compound
containing nitrogen. Healthy kidneys take urea out of the blood and send
it to the bladder in the urine. If your kidneys are not working well, the
urea will stay in the blood.
A deciliter of normal blood contains 7 to 20 milligrams of urea. If your BUN is more than 20 mg/dL, your kidneys may not be working at full strength. Other possible causes of an elevated BUN include dehydration and heart failure.
Proteinuria
Healthy kidneys take wastes out of the blood but
leave protein. Impaired kidneys may fail to separate the protein from the
wastes. Proteinuria means protein in the urine, and it is a sign of poor
kidney function. If your urine makes foam in the toilet, it may contain
high levels of protein. Your doctor may test for protein using a dipstick
in a small sample of your urine taken in the doctor's office. The color of
the dipstick indicates the presence or absence of proteinuria.
Additional tests
Renal imaging. If blood and urine
tests indicate reduced kidney function, your doctor may recommend
additional tests to help identify the cause of the problem. Renal imaging
(taking pictures of the kidneys) methods include ultrasound, computed
tomography (CT scan), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These tools
are most helpful in finding unusual growths or blockages to the flow of
urine.
Renal biopsy. Your doctor may want to see a tiny piece of your kidney tissue under a microscope. To obtain this tissue sample, the doctor will perform a renal biopsy--a hospital procedure in which the doctor inserts a needle through your skin into the back of the kidney. The needle retrieves a strand of tissue about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long. You will lie prone (on your stomach) on a table and will receive local anesthetic to numb the skin. The sample tissue will help the doctor identify problems at the cellular level.
Unfortunately, chronic kidney disease often cannot be cured. But if you are in the early stages of a kidney disease, you may be able to make your kidneys last longer by taking certain steps.
Blood pressure
People with reduced kidney function (a high
creatinine level in the blood or a low creatinine clearance) should have
their blood pressure controlled, and an ACE inhibitor should be one of
their medications. If they also have proteinuria, the blood pressure
should be maintained below 125/75 mm Hg.
Diet
People with reduced kidney function need to be aware
that some parts of a normal diet may speed their kidney failure.
Protein
Protein is important to your body. It helps
your body repair muscles and fight disease. Protein comes mostly from
meat. As discussed in an earlier section, healthy kidneys take wastes out
of the blood but leave protein. Impaired kidneys may fail to separate the
protein from the wastes.
Some doctors tell their kidney patients to limit the amount of protein they eat so that the kidneys have less work to do. But you cannot avoid protein entirely. You may need to work with a dietitian to find the right food plan.
Cholesterol
Another problem that may be associated with
kidney failure is too much cholesterol (koh-LES-tuh-rawl) in your blood.
High levels of cholesterol may result from a high-fat diet.
Cholesterol can build up on the inside walls of your blood vessels. The buildup makes pumping blood through the vessels harder for your heart and can cause heart attacks and strokes.
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical found in salt and other foods.
Sodium in your diet may raise your blood pressure, so you should limit
foods that contain high levels of sodium. High-sodium foods include canned
or processed foods like frozen dinners and hot dogs.
Potassium
Potassium is a mineral found naturally in many
fruits and vegetables, like potatoes, bananas, dried fruits, dried beans
and peas, and nuts. Healthy kidneys measure potassium in your blood and
remove excess amounts. Diseased kidneys may fail to remove excess
potassium, and with very poor kidney function, high potassium levels can
affect the heart rhythm.
Treating anemia
Anemia is a condition in which the blood does
not contain enough red blood cells. These cells are important because they
carry oxygen throughout the body. If you are anemic, you will feel tired
and look pale. Healthy kidneys make the hormone EPO, which stimulates the
bones to make red blood cells. Diseased kidneys may not make enough EPO.
You may need to take injections of a manmade form of EPO.
Preparing for end-stage renal disease
As your kidney disease
progresses, you will need to make several decisions. You will need to
learn about your options for treating ESRD so that you can make an
informed choice between hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and
transplantation.
| Hemodialysis |
Complete and irreversible kidney failure is sometimes called end-stage renal disease, or ESRD. If your kidneys stop working completely, your body fills with extra water and waste products. This condition is called uremia. Your hands or feet may swell. You will feel tired and weak because your body needs clean blood to function properly.
Untreated uremia may lead to seizures or coma and will ultimately result in death. If your kidneys stop working completely, you will need to undergo dialysis or kidney transplant.D
| Peritoneal dialysis |
Dialysis
The two major forms of dialysis are hemodialysis and
peritoneal dialysis. In hemodialysis, your blood is sent through a machine
that filters away waste products. The clean blood is returned to your
body. Hemodialysis is usually performed at a dialysis center three times
per week for 3 or 4 hours.
In peritoneal dialysis, a fluid is put into your abdomen. This fluid, called dialysate, captures the waste products from your blood. After a few hours, the dialysate containing your body's wastes is drained away. Then, a fresh bag of dialysate is dripped into the abdomen. Patients can learn to do this themselves without going to a doctor's office each time. Patients using continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), the most common form of peritoneal dialysis, change dialysate four times a day. Another form of peritoneal dialysis, however, can be performed at night with a machine that drains and refills the abdomen automatically.D
| Kidney transplantation |
Transplantation
A donated kidney may come from an anonymous
donor who has recently died or from a living person, usually a relative.
The kidney that you receive must be a good match for your body. The more
the new kidney is like you, the less likely your immune system is to
reject it. Your immune system protects you from disease by attacking
anything that is not recognized as a normal part of your body. So your
immune system will attack a kidney that appears too "foreign." Special
drugs can help trick your immune system so it does not reject a
transplanted kidney.
As our understanding of the causes of kidney failure increases, so will our ability to predict and prevent these diseases. Recent studies have shown that intensive control of diabetes and high blood pressure can prevent or delay the onset of kidney disease.
In the area of genetics, researchers supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) have located two genes that cause the most common form of PKD and learned that a person must have two defective copies of the PKD1 gene to develop PKD. Researchers have also found a gene in the roundworm that is identical to the PKD1 gene. This new knowledge will be used in the search for effective therapies to prevent or treat PKD.
In the area of transplantation, new drugs to help the body accept foreign tissue increase the likelihood that a transplanted kidney will survive and function properly. Scientists at NIDDK are also developing new techniques to induce tolerance for foreign tissue in patients before they receive transplanted organs. This technique will eliminate or reduce the need for immunosuppressive drugs and thereby reduce expense and complications. In the distant future, scientists may develop an artificial kidney for implantation.
3 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3580
Email: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/tools/mail_nkudic.htm
The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1987, the clearinghouse provides information about diseases of the kidneys and urologic system to people with kidney and urologic disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. NKUDIC answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about kidney and urologic diseases.
Publications produced by the clearinghouse are carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts.
This e-text is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse encourages users of this e-pub to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.
NIH Publication No. 02-4241
January
2002
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