Renal function

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Renal function, in nephrology, is an indication of the state of the kidney and its role in renal physiology. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) describes the flow rate of filtered fluid through the kidney. Creatinine clearance rate (CCr) is the volume of blood plasma that is cleared of creatinine per unit time and is a useful measure for approximating the GFR. Both GFR and CCr may be accurately calculated by comparative measurements of substances in the blood and urine, or estimated by formulas using just a blood test result (eGFR and eCCr).

The results of these tests are important in assessing the excretory function of the kidneys. For example, grading of chronic renal insufficiency and dosage of drugs that are primarily excreted via urine are based on GFR (or creatinine clearance).

It is commonly believed to be the amount of liquid filtered out of the blood that gets processed by the kidneys. Physiologically, these quantities (volumetric blood flow and mass removal) are only related loosely.

For more information about Renal function, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with kidney function

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Kidney function decline increases risk of heart failure and premature death

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Nov 05, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Declining kidney function is linked to a higher risk of heart failure, heart attack, peripheral arterial disease, and early death in individuals with or without kidney disease, according to a pair of studies appearing in ...


Can charcoal fight heart disease in kidney patients?

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Nov 02, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Charcoal may provide a new approach to managing the high rate of heart disease in patients with advanced kidney disease, according to preliminary research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual ...


Women with chronic kidney disease more likely than men to go undiagnosed

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Nov 01, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Woman are at particular risk of their primary care physicians delaying diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific ...


Help your kidneys: Pass on salt and diet soda

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Nov 01, 2009 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (13) | comments 2

Individuals who consume a diet high in sodium or artificially sweetened drinks are more likely to experience a decline in kidney function, according to two papers being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's annual ...


Study questions need for routine intervention in patients with renovascular disease

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Oct 13, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Some invasive procedures that are becoming increasingly common as a first line of treatment for patients diagnosed with narrowed arteries in and around the kidneys may not be necessary, according to a new study by researchers ...


Impaired kidney function linked to cognitive decline in elderly

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Sep 28, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

A new study published in the medical journal Neurology suggests that impaired kidney function is a risk factor for cognitive decline in old age.


Childhood kidney disorder has lasting effects

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Sep 24, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

A kidney condition that can arise in children and was until recently believed to disappear after puberty may persist into adulthood and cause significant long-term complications, according to a study appearing in an upcoming ...


Weight loss is good for the kidneys

Medicine & Health / Other

created Sep 17, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Losing weight may preserve kidney function in obese people with kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The findings indicate that t ...


Increasing the number of kidney transplants

Medicine & Health / Other

created Aug 20, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

In most transplant centers, the kidneys of very young deceased donors are transplanted together into one patient. According to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (C ...


Fumbled handoffs can lead to medical errors

Medicine & Health / Other

created Aug 07, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Poor communication of the outcomes of medical tests whose results are pending at the time of a patient's hospital discharge is common and can lead to serious medical errors in post-hospitalization medical treatment.


New lab test helps predict kidney damage

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Jul 24, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication in patients in intensive care. A new laboratory test called urine neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) helps predict if patients will develop acute kidney ...


How to ... avoid kidney stones

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Jul 17, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (6) | comments 0

These solid masses that form in the kidneys can grow big enough to cause severe pain and even infection as they pass into the urinary tract.


Baking soda: For cooking, cleaning, and kidney health?

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Jul 16, 2009 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (5) | comments 1

A daily dose of sodium bicarbonate -- baking soda, already used for baking, cleaning, acid indigestion, sunburn, and more -- slows the decline of kidney function in some patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), ...


New treatment significantly slows progression of eye damage in persons with type 1 diabetes

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Jul 01, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

University of Minnesota Medical School researcher Michael Mauer, M.D., has found a treatment that significantly slows the progression of eye injury in people with type 1 diabetes, a common complication caused by this disease. ...


Mayo genomic discovery: Protecting kidney function during heart failure

Medicine & Health / Research

created Jun 16, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Mayo Clinic cardiology researchers have found a peptide that helps preserve and improve kidney function during heart failure, without affecting blood pressure. Earlier variations of this peptide caused blood pressure to drop ...