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How to Check For Kidney Disease

Health Care
Wednesday, November 09, 2022
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15.8% of Malaysians have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). [1] CKD is an under-recognized condition. It has little to no symptoms until significant irreversible kidney damage occurs. When this happens, at times, an organ transplant or artificial filtration through dialysis is needed.  

The good news is Chronic Kidney Disease is preventable and when detected early, kidney function can be preserved with early treatment. [2] 

 How to Check for Kidney Disease? [2] [3] 

Getting tested is the only way to determine the health of your kidneys. Depending on your health, your doctor may recommend a yearly kidney function test as part of your therapy.  

 -Urine Tests 

Urine tests check for kidney damage. It involves dipping a chemically treated strip into your urine. The strip changes colour and detects excess proteins in your urine. An excess amount of specific proteins is a sign of kidney damage.  

 

The microalbuminuria test measures the amount of albumin in your urine. Albumin is a protein responsible for cell growth and repair. In a healthy kidney, albumin is kept within your blood and not excreted in your urine. But in a damaged kidney, albumin levels start to rise in your urine.  

 

For the rest of 2022, get a free kidney screening at any BIG Pharmacy outlet today! Act now before it's too late! 

 -Blood test  

The glomerular filtration test (GFR) measures your kidney’s functioning levels. Generally the lower the GFR, the less effective it is.  

Here are the 5 stages of kidney disease. [4] 

Stage 1: minimal or no loss of kidney function (GFR of 90 or above) 

Stage 2: mild loss of kidney function (GFR of 60 to 89) 

Stage 3: moderate loss of kidney function (GFR of 30 to 59) 

Stage 4: severe loss of kidney function (GFR of 15 to 29) 

Stage 5: kidney failure (GFR of 15 or below) 

 References 

  1. Saminathan, T., Hooi, L., Mohd Yusoff, M., Ong, L., Bavanandan, S., & Rodzlan Hasani, W. et al. (2020). Prevalence of chronic kidney disease and its associated factors in Malaysia; findings from a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study. BMC Nephrology, 21(1). doi: 10.1186/s12882-020-01966-8 
  2. Malaysian Health Technology Assessment Section (MaHTAS). (2018). Management of Chronic Kidney Disease [Ebook] (2nd ed., p. 23). Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved from https://www.moh.gov.my/moh/resources/penerbitan/CPG/CPG%20Management%20of%20Chronic%20Kidney%20%20Disease%20(Second%20Edition).pdf 
  3. Chronic Kidney Disease Tests & Diagnosis. (2016). Retrived from https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/tests-diagnosis 
  4. Malaysian Health Technology Assessment Section (MaHTAS). (2018). Management of Chronic Kidney Disease [Ebook] (2nd ed., p. 28). Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved from https://www.moh.gov.my/moh/resources/penerbitan/CPG/CPG%20Management%20of%20Chronic%20Kidney%20%20Disease%20(Second%20Edition).pdf 

 

 
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