In the article, we consider the rate of urea in the blood.
Determination of urea and creatinine in the blood is another way to detect metabolic disorders in the human body. These are the very first and main indicators of the initial and critical stages of renal ailments, disorders in the liver and muscle dystrophy.
Urea is a breakdown product of proteins. Produces its liver in the process of protein synthesis. Urea with urine is excreted through the kidneys. To identify the amount of urea in humans, biochemical blood tests are performed. The rate of urea in the blood is related to a person’s age and gender. It is worth saying that in women it is slightly lower. More specific information about this element can be found below.
What is the norm for women?
Indicators of the content of this element in women under sixty years old are in the range from 2 to 6.5 mmol per liter. Upon reaching the age of sixty, the blood urea norm in women and men is approximately the same and ranges from 2.8 to 7.4 mmol per liter. The following may affect its content:
- The degree of efficiency of the liver.
- The level of functional state of the kidneys.
- The number of amino acids that are involved in protein metabolism.
Urea: the norm in men
When conducting biochemical analyzes, laboratory assistants determine the amount of such important substances as hemoglobin, urea, glucose, cholesterol, creatinine and various enzymes. The rate of urea in the blood in men should be:
- At the age of sixty, from 2.5 mmol per liter to 6.4.
- In older men, normal values range from 2.8 to 7.4 mmol per liter of blood.
Some sources indicate slightly higher upper limits of the blood urea norm in men in the region of 8.2 mmol per liter of blood.
Content below the norm in women
Of course, it’s good when the urea is normal.
In the event that, as a result of a biochemical study, a woman revealed a low concentration of this element in the blood, then the reasons for this change are:
- Diet, which is associated with the exclusion from the diet of any animal products in the form of meat, milk or eggs, as well as fish, along with prolonged starvation.
- The presence of liver diseases in the form of hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatodystrophy or hepatic coma.
- The development of acromegaly, which is a hormonal pathology, manifested in the form of a disproportionate increase in certain parts of the body.
- Violation of the thyroid gland leads to a deviation from the norm of urea in the blood.
- The occurrence of poisoning by compounds that contain arsenic and phosphorus.
- The presence of malabsorption in the form of a decrease in the absorption of amino acids in the intestine.
Often there is a decrease relative to the norm of urea in the blood of women during pregnancy. Such a change is directly related to the fact that the mother protein is spent on building the body of the forming child. Next, find out what high concentrations of urea in the body indicate.
High urea concentration
Exceeding the urea norm can always indicate the presence of serious diseases. Often a high level of this substance is observed in such diseases:
- The presence of kidney failure and other ailments in the form of pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, tuberculosis and the like.
- Disturbed outflow of urine as a result of urolithiasis, a tumor in the bladder, etc.
- The development of myocardial infarction along with heart failure.
- The occurrence of bowel obstruction along with bleeding that occurs in the digestive system.
- The development of hyperthyroidism along with leukemia.
- The presence of diabetes due to urea excretion disorders.
- Getting burn wounds and the development of a shock condition.
- Poisoning of the body with mercury-containing components, phenol or oxalic acid.
- Significant dehydration on the background of diarrhea or vomiting.
In addition, exceeding the urea norm in men and women may be the result of extremely strong physical stress (especially during intensive training) or the predominance of protein products in the diet. Urea levels can sometimes increase due to the individual reaction of the human body to the use of medications, including anabolics along with corticosteroids, antibiotics and sulfonamides.
The rate of urea in women depends on age.
A significant increase in urea in medicine is called uremia (hyperazotemia). This condition, as a rule, is caused by the fact that the accumulation of fluid in the cells leads to their increase and serious impairment of functions. At the same time, ammonia intoxication, manifested in disorders of the nervous system, is noted. Various other complications may appear.
Urea content can be normalized by course treatment of the underlying disease. An important role in the treatment and prevention is played by a properly composed diet. Urea and creatinine should be normal.
Find out what creatinine is.
Creatinine
This element is the final product of protein metabolism, which is excreted from the human body through the kidneys. Creatinine values reflect the functioning of this organ along with the state of muscle tissue. The creatinine content is detected by performing a biochemical analysis of the study, while it must be borne in mind that its norm is different for males and females. What are the normal creatinine levels in women? We will talk about this later.
Creatinine rate
The norm of creatinine in women depends, first of all, on age. The reference indicator for age categories is as follows:
- At the age of fourteen to eighteen years, the amount of this element is from 44 to 88 μmol per liter.
- At the age of eighteen to fifty years, from 53 to 97 micromoles per liter.
- At the age of fifty, from 53 to 106 μmol per liter.
Thus, until puberty is reached, the rate is usually lower by about nine units. And after fifty years in women, the creatinine norm will be on average higher by about nine units.
In pregnant women, a significant decrease in this indicator relative to normal values is often observed. A very common situation in which a woman expecting a baby, having learned the results of the analysis, is horrified that her creatinine is almost twice as low as the norm. In fact, this is a temporary picture associated with the characteristics of physiology.
Creatinine: preparation for the test
In order for the result of the analysis to determine the content of this element to be the most reliable, you must do the following:
- Exclude any physical activity, at least two days in advance.
- During the day do not take alcohol, tea or coffee. Plus, eat less protein food.
- Eight hours before visiting the laboratory you can’t eat, you can only drink water without gas.
- Before blood sampling, they relax and sit for at least ten minutes in a completely calm state.
Causes of changes in creatinine levels and its high level
An increase in creatinine indicates, first of all, the pathological process in the kidneys that arose as a result of infection, the appearance of a tumor, insufficient outflow or blood flow. Other reasons for the increase in creatinine are:
- The development of heart failure.
- The appearance of trauma with muscle damage along with extensive burn wounds.
- The appearance of significant blood loss, including with internal bleeding.
- The emergence of pathologies of the muscular system in the form of myasthenia gravis, degeneration, and so on.
- The development of endocrine disorders in the form of acromegaly, hyperthyroidism and the like.
- The presence of dehydration or radiation sickness.
In addition, creatinine levels increase in patients who prefer meat food. The use of certain barbiturate medications, including exactly the same as thiazide diuretics, sulfonamides and others, can also lead to an increase in creatinine content. It is worth noting that an increase in the concentration of this blood element is often observed in patients who are prone to obesity. An increase in creatinine may be accompanied by the following symptoms:
- The appearance of pain and a feeling of heaviness in the lumbar region.
- The occurrence of shortness of breath.
- The emergence of a constant feeling of fatigue with a breakdown.
- Decreased appetite and the appearance of nausea.
- Violation of urination up to the development of a complete absence of urine.
- Increased pressure along with confusion and convulsions.
Low creatinine
A lower than normal creatinine level may be caused by:
- Severe liver disease, such as cirrhosis.
- A significant decrease in muscle mass due to long starvation or illness.
- The development of hyperhydration.
Prolonged use of corticosteroids can also cause a decrease in creatinine levels. Thus, normal blood creatinine concentrations are a sign of health. Figures that correspond to normal indicators are noted in people whose internal organs and body systems function without any significant problems.
We examined the urea rate in women and men.