Assessing Kidney Function: What to Expect in Health Checkups

Worldwide, about one in every 10 adults is affected by kidney disease and the numbers are increasing every year. Kidney disease can be caused by hypertension, diabetes, and several other conditions. Because kidney problems often don't have noticeable symptoms initially, by the time you experience any symptoms, your kidney disease has already progressed. Therefore, to stay healthy, it's important to take precautionary measures such as changing your lifestyle and getting full-body checkups that include kidney function tests regularly. Checking your kidney function regularly can help you catch any kidney problems early on, manage the treatment for your kidney issues, and also check for the progression of kidney disease.

Understanding Kidney Function Screeningful 

Just as your heart and lungs are important for keeping you healthy, your kidneys are vital for filtering out the waste and toxins like urea, creatinine, and uric acid from your blood. The kidneys also help balance the amount of fluid, minerals, and electrolytes in the body and produce hormones such as erythropoietin and renin.

When the kidney function is affected, blood filtration is affected along with all of its other functions. However, you might not realize it since often there are no symptoms, and you can lose up to 90% of your kidney function before realizing that something is wrong. Many people can have chronic kidney disease (CKD) for years without noticing any signs. Thus, getting tested regularly becomes essential for detecting kidney disease accurately, especially if you have conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, or a family history of CKD, since they are known to cause kidney disease.

Comprehensive Kidney Function Screening in Full Body Checkups 

Regular full-body check-ups are essential for the early detection of health issues, which allows timely prevention and management, while also providing an understanding of appropriate health practices. Full-body check-ups usually include kidney function tests to assess the efficiency of your kidneys with parameters such as the following.

• Blood urea nitrogen (BUN): The BUN test checks the amount of nitrogen in your blood. If there's too much of it, it might mean your kidneys aren't working as they should. 
• Serum creatinine: A serum creatinine blood test measures the creatinine (a byproduct of muscle breakdown) level in your blood. Increased creatinine levels suggest kidney dysfunction. 
• Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): The eGFR test measures kidney function and determines the stage of kidney disease. It's calculated from your blood creatinine test results, along with factors like age, size, and gender. A low eGFR suggests reduced kidney function. 
• Microalbuminuria: This test detects tiny amounts of albumin in urine. Albumin, a protein crucial for tissue repair, may leak into urine when the kidneys do not function properly. This test helps diagnose kidney damage due to diabetes.

If the results of these tests are not normal, your doctor will talk to you about treatment choices. 

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Key Indicators Checked in Full Body Health Checkups  

Early diagnosis of kidney disease always has a better outcome for individuals as it allows you to take appropriate action. The results of your kidney function tests will be correlated with your current health status to gain an understanding of your kidney health. Some of the kidney function test results can be interpreted as follows: 

• eGFR: An eGFR of 60 or higher is considered normal. If your eGFR is below 60, it could suggest kidney disease.  
• Creatinine levels: Elevated creatinine levels, typically above 1.2 in women and 1.4 in men, may indicate kidney dysfunction. If your serum creatinine levels are high, your doctor may order further tests to get a proper diagnosis. 
• Urea levels: Elevated urea levels, especially above 7-20 may indicate impaired kidney function; as kidney disease advances, BUN levels increase.

The doctor will counsel you on further plans of action based on your kidney health. 

Benefits of Early Kidney Function Detection 

With a rise in instances of CKD worldwide, early detection of kidney disease is critical for preserving kidney function, preventing complications, boosting treatment effectiveness, and overall getting a better prognosis. It's really important to be aware of kidney issues and get checked early so that you can prevent the progression of the disease and maintain good kidney health for a long time.

Preventive Measures: 

Kidney disease can be caused by other conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. To safeguard your kidneys these conditions need to be managed well:

• Make sure you monitor your blood glucose levels regularly and keep them within normal limits. 
• Check your blood pressure levels regularly and keep them within normal limits. 
• If you have any other health conditions, work with your doctor to manage them. 

Lifestyle Changes: 

Along with the precautionary measures, a few simple lifestyle changes such as the following can also help maintain your kidney health:

• Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. 
• Choose foods low in cholesterol, trans fats, saturated fats, added sugars, and salt (sodium). 
• Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days and maintain a healthy weight. 
• Ensure you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night and practice good sleep habits. 
• Quit smoking and limit alcohol intake if you are at risk of kidney disease. 
• Manage your stress through activities like meditation, yoga, or tai chi. 

Introduction to Health Checkup Packages 

Worried about your kidney health? Want to evaluate if your kidneys are functioning normally? Worry not, Orange Health is proud to introduce our new health checkup packages, specially curated for comprehensive kidney function assessments. The key elements included in our kidney function tests are urea, BUN, creatinine, uric acid, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus, and eGFR. By offering these tailored assessments, we aim to empower individuals to take charge of their health and make informed decisions about their kidney health.

Conclusion 

Diagnosing kidney disease early is crucial for maintaining kidney function and slowing down the progression of the disease. Full body check-ups play a crucial role in the early detection of any potential health issues. Regular kidney check-ups, done as a part of full-body check-ups, offer the opportunity to catch health issues early, leading to better health outcomes.