Millions of people around the world are suffering from hypertension or high blood pressure, which can have negative effects on various organs of the body.
Health experts have warned that such patients should not ignore regular urine tests as they help in identifying early signs of kidney damage.
According to medical experts, prolonged high blood pressure silently affects the tiny blood vessels of the kidneys, impairing their ability to filter blood.
Clinical pharmacists explain that the kidneys act as the body’s natural filtration system, removing excess water and harmful substances.
Experts say that when blood vessels are affected, this process weakens, resulting in important components being excreted in urine while harmful substances remain in the body.
An important diagnostic measure is the albumin to creatinine ratio ACR. Under normal conditions, the level of the protein albumin in urine is very low, however, higher levels may indicate kidney damage. Creatinine is used as a reference to accurately measure the levels of other substances.
Experts have advised that the ACR test should be conducted immediately after the diagnosis of high blood pressure and repeated at least once a year, especially in individuals at higher risk.
According to medical experts, kidney disease begins without symptoms in its early stages, however, timely diagnosis and treatment can reduce its severity and prevent complications.
Moreover, urine tests also help in identifying the effects of medications, diabetes, infections, abnormal salt levels and other conditions, which is why they are considered an important part of long term monitoring of high blood pressure and kidney health.
