Proteinuria describes a condition in which urine contains an abnormal amount
of protein. Proteins are the building blocks for all body parts, including
muscles, bones, hair, and nails. Proteins in your blood also perform a number of
important functions. They protect you from infection, help your blood clot, and
keep the right amount of fluid circulating throughout your body.
As blood passes through healthy kidneys, they filter the waste products out
and leave in the things the body needs, like proteins. Most proteins are too big
to pass through the kidneys' filters into the urine unless the kidneys are
damaged. The main protein that is most likely to appear in urine is albumin.
Proteins from the blood can escape into the urine when the filters of the
kidney, called glomeruli, are damaged. Sometimes the term albuminuria is used
when a urine test detects albumin specifically. Albumin's function in the body
includes retention of fluid in the blood. It acts like a sponge, soaking up
fluid from body tissues.
Inflammation in the glomeruli is called glomerulonephritis, or simply
nephritis. Many diseases can cause this inflammation, which leads to
proteinuria. Additional processes that can damage the glomeruli and cause
proteinuria include diabetes, hypertension, and other forms of kidney
diseases.
Proteinuria is also associated with cardiovascular disease. Damaged blood
vessels may lead to heart failure or stroke as well as kidney failure. If your
doctor finds that you have proteinuria, do what you can to protect your health
and prevent any of these diseases from developing.
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