Decreased kidney function results in loss of appetite and easy fatigue or shortness of breath｜Source: Getty Image Bank
In order to survive, our bodies produce many substances every day. During this process, various waste products such as urea, creatinine, and uric acid are produced, and unnecessary waste products are excreted out of the body through urine. The kidney, an organ that acts as a water purifier, is responsible for this. The kidneys, also called ‘kids’ because they are shaped like kidney beans and are red like red beans, leave substances needed by our body in the body and discharge waste products out of the body.
What happens when the function of the kidneys deteriorates and waste products accumulate in the body? Symptoms such as loss of appetite, easy fatigue or shortness of breath, and nausea appear. When the kidneys are damaged or do not function properly for more than 3 months, it is called ‘chronic kidney disease (chronic renal failure)’.
Chronic kidney disease is divided into stages 1 to 5, and the criterion for dividing each stage is the glomerular filtration rate. Glomerular filtration rate is a value that evaluates the degree to which the glomerulus, which acts as a filter in the kidneys, removes waste products. As a result of blood tests, if the glomerular filtration rate is 90 to 120 mL per minute, it means that kidney function is normal. In other words, healthy kidneys filter and clean about 90 to 120 mL of blood per minute. However, if the glomerular filtration rate drops below 60 mL per minute, it means that kidney function is reduced and waste products in the body are not well removed.
Kidney (kidney)｜Source: Getty Image Bank
◇ Chronic kidney disease
Normal or Stage 1: Kidney function is normal
– Glomerular filtration rate: greater than or equal to 90 ml per minute
– However, even if the glomerular filtration rate is normal, if proteinuria or hematuria continues to appear in the urine test, there is a high possibility of having chronic kidney disease.
Stage 2: Kidney function begins to decline
– Glomerular filtration rate: 60-89 mL per minute
Stage 3: Kidney function further declines
– Glomerular filtration rate: 30 to 59 mL per minute
Stage 4: barely maintains vital kidney function
– Glomerular filtration rate: 15 to 29 mL per minute
Stage 5: End-stage renal failure
– Glomerular filtration rate: less than 15 mL per minute
– Kidney function is severely damaged, making it difficult to maintain life without dialysis or transplant
If chronic kidney disease is not managed at an early stage, it will worsen to the final stage, end-stage renal failure. In the 5th stage of chronic kidney disease, the kidney function is less than 10%, so it cannot excrete water and waste products on its own, so it is necessary to undergo hemodialysis or kidney transplant, which is a treatment to replace the kidney. However, early detection and treatment of chronic kidney disease can slow down the decline in kidney function or prevent cardiovascular complications such as high blood pressure and stroke.
The problem is that severe symptoms do not appear until kidney function is significantly reduced. Because of this, many patients do not know that they have kidney problems until they progress to stage 4 or higher. Therefore, if the factors that increase the risk of kidney disease are △diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity △smoking △age 50 or older △a family history of kidney disease △frothy urine and hematuria continue to occur, take blood tests and urine tests regularly to check kidney function. Need to check.
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