Important Facts About Proteinuria and Kidney Disease

Did You Know?

• The kidneys normally act as filters and conserve protein, and very little or no protein appears in the urine.
• The appearance of protein in the urine may be the first sign of an otherwise silent kidney disease.
• Routine testing for urine protein as an early marker of kidney disease should be included in physical examinations in adults.
• Protein in the urine can be detected by a simple test that can often be done on the spot in your doctor's office.
• While small amounts of protein loss in the urine have no associated symptoms, heavy losses may be associated with leg, eye and facial swelling.
• The most common cause of heavy protein losses in the urine is diabetes mellitus, which is the leading cause of chronic kidney failure in the U.S.
• Early screening and detection of abnormal urinary protein in diabetes mellitus can permit treatment with medications that can slow the onset and progression of chronic kidney failure.
• If you have high blood pressure, the presence of abnormal urinary protein loss may suggest the need for optimal blood pressure control that is 125/75 mmHg.
• Heroin use can lead to severe protein leaks from the kidney and rapid onset of kidney failure.
• HIV disease and AIDS are emerging as increasingly common causes of heavy urinary protein losses and kidney failure.
• Common over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and related drugs, can cause protein leaks and kidney damage in some individuals.
• Protein may be found incidentally in the urine of otherwise healthy young adults without diabetes mellitus or high blood pressure and can have a benign course.
• Whenever protein is detected in urine, a doctor should be consulted.