http://www.diabetesnet.com/about-diabetes/diabetes-complications/kidney-disease/stages-and-reversalStages Of Kidney Disease:
Kidney damage goes through stages that can be monitored with standard lab tests:
1. Microalbuminuria occurs when trace amounts of a protein called albumin begin to leak through the damaged filtering structures of the kidneys. The presence of microalbumin in the urine is often an early warning of kidney disease, but can also be present for other reasons. Normal values on this test are less than 15 to 30 mg/l. The important microalbumin test should be done at least yearly in those who have had diabetes for five years or longer.
The test will help those who have had diabetes a relatively short time but have already started to spill microalbumin. As kidney damage progresses, microalbumin spillage will rise above 200 mg/l and be followed by:
2. Proteinuria is the spillage of larger quantities of protein. A standard urinalysis will pick up this spillage (normal is less than 100-150 mg/day, depending on the lab). As damage progresses and protein levels reach about 2000-4000 mg/day, proteinuria is followed by:
3. A rising blood creatinine. Creatinine is a normal breakdown product from muscle which the kidneys cleanse from blood (a normal creatinine is 1.1-1.3 mg/dl or less, depending on the lab). As damaged kidneys have more trouble cleansing the blood, creatinine levels rise. After a gradual buildup, toxins in the blood reach a critical stage (usually at a creatinine level between 3 and
. This critical stage requires:
4. Dialysis or a kidney transplant. These technologies replace the severely damaged kidneys in cleansing the blood. Transplant organs are scare and the operations are costly. Dialysis is disruptive to one's lifestyle and can cost $25,000 to $45,000 each year.
A creatinine level over 8? Dude's in critical condition.
