You’re a heart attack, just the kind I like!
I've been learning things during this adventure across 24 hours of blogging. Earlier, I learned that I myself am at risk for kidney disease because I'm hypertensive. That was news.
About five minutes ago, I learned that hypertension is the SECOND leading cause of kidney failure, right behind diabetes, and that hypertensives shoud have their kidney function tested annually as well as keep their blood pressure under control.
I'm kind of surprised that I got the heart attack lecture from my doctor, but he never mentioned the possibility of diminished kidney function. It would appear that the next time I see him, I need to poke him about some things:
-- Blood serum creatinine testing and glomerular filtration rate
-- urine protein
If any of my readers are hypertensive or diabetic, you might think about visiting the National Kidney Disease Education Program and having a look at what they have to say. You might learn something new and important today, just like I did.
posted by Missy at 2:31 AM
1 Comments:
(nods nods)
When you get your yearly physical, does your doctor draw blood and/or take a urine sample? If your doctor already does either one, then chances are your doctor is *already* keeping his/her eye out on your kidney function through the standard lab tests either allows. The standard laboratory blood test often includes Blood Urea Nitrogen and Serum Creatinine; the standard urine test includes urine protein (and urine glucose, a monitor of diabetes).
So yes, it's a good idea to ask your doctor about these things, but there's a good chance he/she's already one ahead of ya. :-)
- turnberryknkn
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