Your kidneys and your lab tests
Episode 11 min 19 sec
Neff shows what your kidneys do, and how we check on them.
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Your kidneys and your lab tests
Video, 1 minute 19 seconds.
- Neff's voice is AI-generated.
- Reviewed by Shree Mulay, MD on
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Here is every word Neff says in the video.
- Hi! I'm Neff, from The Kidney Experts. Let me show you what your kidneys do, and how we check on them.
- Your kidneys are filters. Blood goes in. Your kidneys clean out the waste, and the waste leaves your body in your urine.
- When kidneys don't work well, two things can happen.
- First, the filter can get leaky. That's why we check your urine. If we find blood or protein in your urine, it tells us the filter is leaking. Things that should stay in your blood are getting through.
- Second, the filter can slow down. Less waste gets cleaned out, so it builds up in your blood. One waste we check is called creatinine. We check it with a blood test.
- When your kidneys filter less, your creatinine level goes up. When your kidneys get better, your creatinine level comes down.
- We use your creatinine to estimate your eGFR. Think of it as your kidney score. Creatinine and eGFR move in opposite ways. When creatinine goes up, eGFR goes down. For eGFR, higher is better.
- These numbers go up and down a little every day. So we watch them over time, to see how your kidneys are doing.
- We're here to help. Bring your questions to every visit. Let's take care of your kidneys together!
Neff's voice is AI-generated.
Bring your questions to every visit.
Talk with your care team
This video helps you learn. It does not tell you what is going on with your own kidneys. Your care team knows your health. Ask them what your numbers mean for you.
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