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Kidney disease is often called renal failure. This refers
to the loss of the normal excretory functions of the kidney.
If the kidney is not working properly then toxic substances
build up in the body, salt is retained and excess water can
accumulate to cause swelling, which is often called oedema.
This abnormal accumulation of fluid can then affect the function
of other organs such as the heart, lungs and liver. Renal
failure can be sudden in onset occurring over hours or days,
in which case it is referred to as acute renal failure, or
it can be a symptom of a long-term disease developing slowly
over many years, and then it is called chronic renal failure.
Acute renal failure has a number of causes. It is often
caused by severe infection following surgery, or results from
trauma with a large blood loss, burns, or crush injuries.
Sometimes renal failure occurs as a side effect of treatment
in patients that are sensitive to certain medicines. Renal
failure may also be brought on by dehydration due to untreated
vomiting or diarrhoea. Acute renal failure is a life threatening
condition. The outcome depends on the cause. If the damage
to the kidney is not too severe there is good recovery of
kidney function.
Chronic renal failure occurs most frequently in patients
with diabetes or high blood pressure. It is a progressive
disease that often goes unnoticed until extensive damage has
occurred. Progressive deterioration in kidney function in
chronic renal failure is linked to inflammation and fibrosis,
which alter the integrity, or lead to thickening, of vital
membranes so that filtration of the blood occurs less efficiently.
As a result the damage may be irreversible so that further
progressive loss in function leads to end stage renal failure.
At this point the only treatments available are long-term
dialysis or kidney transplant.
Renal failure in diabetes is often called diabetic nephropathy.
It is more likely to occur when the control of blood glucose
levels has been poor, or in diabetic patients who smoke or
have high blood pressure. Diabetic nephropathy is a sign of
blood vessel damage throughout the circulation. Patients with
diabetic nephropathy are more likely to have other vascular
complications of diabetes.
The William Harvey Research Foundation supports
research into treatments to protect the kidney from damage
during acute renal failure. Funds for research leading to
new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of chronic renal
failure are essential if we are to reduce the future need
for kidney transplants.
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