skip banner - Return to original view
site viewing options
 
Parents|Medical Information|Professionals|In your area|Campaigns

Kidney disease

Background

Each kidney contains about one million nephrons, or filtering units, which continuously filter the blood to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body. Kidney disease can result in two different sorts of problems:-

  • Kidney failure occurs when the function of the filtering unit is reduced, and waste products start to accumulate in the body. In acute kidney (renal) failure there is a sudden loss of kidney function, whereas in chronic kidney failure the decline in kidney function is more gradual.
  • Nephrotic syndrome describes the situation when the filters allow lots of protein (mostly albumin) to leak into the urine, resulting in low levels of proteins in the blood.

Diabetes and Kidney disease. It is estimated that at least one third of individuals with diabetes develop some form of kidney disease although this does not lead to dialysis or transplantation in all cases. Diabetes affects approximately two point three per cent of the population in the UK.

What are the symptoms? View What are the symptoms?

Medical text written October 2000 by Dr J Bradley. Additional material on Diabetes and Kidney disease written February 2003 by Contact a Family. Approved February 2003 by the Medical Advisory Board (Consultant Nephrologist) of the National Kidney Research Fund, UK. Last reviewed May 2005 by Dr J Bradley, Consultant Nephrologist, Director of Renal Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.

 

Tell us what you think of this information...

Print whole article Print whole article

 

This Web Site © Copyright, Contact a Family 2008
Contact a Family, 209-211 City Road, London EC1V 1JN
Tel: (020) 7608 8700

Registered Charity No. 284912. Charity registered in Scotland No. SC039169
Company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales No. 1633333.
HM Revenue & Customs charity tax reference No. XN54769. VAT Reg. No. GB 749 3846 82