How long can you stay at 50 to 60% kidney function with proteinuria

[concernedtxmom]

My son is 17 years old, with kidney functioning at estimate of 50 to 60%. He has a small amount of protein in the urine and a recent ultrasound revealed both his kidneys are small and one is even smaller. We haven't gotten to the underlying cause yet but how long can you stay at 50 to 60% and treat to not worsen.

[acii]

Please allow me to play 'devil's advocate' to fntn.  You should be concerned, as a fellow parent of three, I certainly want my children to enjoy a long and healthy life.  Apparently your son has a congenital kidney disorder, I believe it's called hypoplasia

The percent kidney function may be misleading.  Are his kidneys functioning a total of 50 to 60% together or does that percentage characterize each one separately?  Also, are the percentages describing he's own kidneys or a statistical average of the greater population, or of his age group.

Two fuctioning kidneys tend to work in concert.  If one is under-performing the other, the stronger one takes up more of the workload.  A better gauge of total kidney performance is the GFR or eGFR.  GFR stands for Glomerular Filtration Rate and eGFR is an estimated GFR value.  Often both are used interchangeably when used non-scientifically.  Just remember that your son's GFR will give you a better understanding of how his kidney are functioning.  Another important value is his Urinary Albumin/Creatine Ratio (UACR) or sometimes you'll see Albumin/Creatine depending on the lab.

Contrary to popular opinion, our kidneys are not as hardy or resilient as one is lead to believe.  Also, any longterm reduction in kidney function is probably irreveresible.  Kidney function naturally decreases over time for everyone.  However, for some of is, that decline occurs more rapidly.  The longevity of kidney function varies and can be greatly influenced by diet and lifestyle choices.  The key is to maximize the performance of our kidneys while minimiziing or slowing down their decline.

I urge you and your son to educate yourselves about all aspects of kidney health and conditions. A good place to start is at http://nkdep.nih.gov/
you'll find several online course, free for the taking!  I highly recommend completing all of the programs and learning modules under FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.  You are, and always be, your son's best advocate.

Very Best Regards

[acii]

Please allow me to play 'devil's advocate' to fntn.  You should be concerned, as a fellow parent of three, I certainly want my children to enjoy a long and healthy life.  Apparently your son has a congenital kidney disorder, I believe it's called hypoplasia

The percent kidney function may be misleading.  Are his kidneys functioning a total of 50 to 60% together or does that percentage characterize each one separately?  Also, are the percentages describing he's own kidneys or a statistical average of the greater population, or of his age group.

Two fuctioning kidneys tend to work in concert.  If one is under-performing the other, the stronger one takes up more of the workload.  A better gauge of total kidney performance is the GFR or eGFR.  GFR stands for Glomerular Filtration Rate and eGFR is an estimated GFR value.  Often both are used interchangeably when used non-scientifically.  Just remember that your son's GFR will give you a better understanding of how his kidney are functioning.  Another important value is his Urinary Albumin/Creatine Ratio (UACR) or sometimes you'll see Albumin/Creatine depending on the lab.

Contrary to popular opinion, our kidneys are not as hardy or resilient as one is lead to believe.  Also, any longterm reduction in kidney function is probably irreveresible.  Kidney function naturally decreases over time for everyone.  However, for some of is, that decline occurs more rapidly.  The longevity of kidney function varies and can be greatly influenced by diet and lifestyle choices.  The key is to maximize the performance of our kidneys while minimiziing or slowing down their decline.

I urge you and your son to educate yourselves about all aspects of kidney health and conditions. A good place to start is at http://nkdep.nih.gov/
you'll find several online course, free for the taking!  I highly recommend completing all of the programs and learning modules under FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.  You are, and always be, your son's best advocate.

Very Best Regards

[fntn]

Fortunately the kidneys are pretty durable organs, I know mine's been pushed pretty hard lately. Hopefully your son's doctors can get a diagnosis soon so that some form of treatment can start.

But in the mean time, you might talk to his doctors about having a urine analysis w/wo blood work on an every 2-week or monthly basis ... for a peace of mind at the very less. That way you can keep an eye on his chronic status to make sure nothing sneaks by - a "snapshot" every now and then may or may not capture something of diagnostic value.

I've been doing this myself for over a year and have recently slowed down to a 2-week or monthly basis. My kidney (have only one) function has stayed between 30 to 60% for a couple of years now. And drifted into acute failure a couple of times - but this doesn't mean your son will of course, so I don't want to worry you.

Take care and good luck tracking down the issue.