Information on Nephrotic Syndrome Prevalence
Nephrotic Syndrome Prevalence
For every ten thousand people in the world, two will experience nephrotic syndrome. Nephrotic syndrome prevalence is hard to determine in adults because the condition often accompanies other renal conditions and diseases. For kids, it is most commonly seen in girls and is usually identified between the ages of two and three. Signs of this disease include low albumin levels in the blood, swelling and high blood cholesterol. The disease that causes this syndrome damages the glomeruli (filtering tubes of the kidneys) and makes it difficult for the kidneys to cleanse the blood.
Causes
Diabetes and hypertension cause nephrotic syndrome, which may progress to kidney failure. Other conditions associated with this syndrome include amyloidosis (stiffening of the kidney due to protein deposits) and glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the glomeruli). Infections and even Berger’s disease increase nephrotic syndrome prevalence in adults.
Other causes for nephrotic syndrome include collagen vascular disorders, periarteritis nodosa, heart failure, sickle cell anemia, tuberculosis, and enteritis. The most common causes are hereditary nephritis, allergic reactions, pregnancy, and neoplastic diseases. These conditions increase the protein permeability of the glomeruli, causing the kidneys to excrete more protein and albumin in the urine. This leads to proteinuria and microalbuminuria.
Treatment & Management
Treatment goals include relief of symptoms and prevention of further kidney damage. The disorder causing nephrotic syndrome must be controlled or cured to control the symptoms of this syndrome. Immunosuppressive drugs, corticosteroids, angiotensin-converting inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), antibiotics, antihypertensives, and diuretics are often used to treat pain, hypertension and proteinuria.
Managing this condition involves frequent blood pressure monitoring, urine tests, and blood tests. Blood pressure must be measured while the patient is sitting and again when the patient is standing. If there is a drop in pressure of 20 mm Hg or more between the two readings, a doctor should be notified. Urine tests determine if protein or albumin are leaking from the kidneys and into the urine. Kidney function blood tests determine if creatinine and BUN, the waste products of protein metabolism, are building up in the blood. This indicates that kidney function is declining.
Resources
NephrologyChannel.com from the article Nephrotic Syndrome
WrongDiagnosis.com from the article Nephrotic Syndrome
