What could be the long-term consequences?
The long-term consequences of increased urea in the blood are particularly evident in the kidneys, which are usually already damaged. The high urea value leads to the deposition of the substance, especially in the kidneys. This leads to kidney stones, which in turn cause a backlog of urine in the kidneys, where it causes acute damage to the tissue.
This can lead to serious complications, including life-threatening acute kidney failure. Chronic inflammation can also be caused by the uric acid deposits. This usually results in chronic progressive renal insufficiency, in which the kidneys are no longer able to produce enough urine to detoxify the body.
It also promotes the development of many metabolic diseases. These include, for example, diabetes mellitus (diabetes) and the metabolic syndrome, which consists of obesity, poor blood lipid values, diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. The kidney dysfunction can also be the sole cause of high blood pressure. The metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure are risk factors for serious cardiovascular diseases.
What is the urea creatinine quotient?
Urea and creatinine are two substances that are excreted via the kidneys. Both substances can accumulate in the body when the kidney is no longer functioning properly. The urea-creatinine ratio can be used to determine the ratio between the two substances.
If the quotient remains approximately the same, this indicates that both substances are accumulated in the body to the same extent. In this case one can assume a kidney dysfunction, as the two important substances are no longer excreted. If, on the other hand, only the urea increases, while the creatinine remains the same, the urea-creatinine quotient will also increase.
This suggests that increased urea production in the body is responsible for the high urea levels in the blood. Depending on the underlying cause, different therapeutic approaches can be chosen, which is why a differentiation of the origin of the high urea plays an important role in clinical everyday life.
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