A
ACE inhibitor (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor)
A class of drug that reduces blood pressure levels, and may be especially helpful for people with CKD and protein in the urine.
There's more info on ACE inhibitors on our Medication page.
ACR
Albumin-creatinine ratio, the amount of protein leaking into the urine.
Acute
Short-term and of rapid onset, usually hours or days.
Acute kidney injury (AKI)
A rapid deterioration in kidney function over hours or days associated with a fall in urine output and rise in creatinine levels. If severe AKI may result in long-term loss of kidney function.
See our Acute kidney injury page for more info
Albumin
A type of protein. If protein appears in the urine this can be a sign of kidney damage. Albumin is the preferred type of protein for laboratories to measure in the urine.
Anaemia
A shortage of red blood cells in the body, measured as haemoglobin levels or red blood cell count. Anaemia may be treated if the haemoglobin level is below 110 g/l.
See our Anaemia page for more info.
APD
Abbreviation for automated peritoneal dialysis - a form of peritoneal dialysis that uses a machine to drain the dialysis fluid out of the person and replace it with a fresh solution. APD is usually carried out overnight while the person sleeps.
See our page on Dialysis for more info.
ARB (angiotensin receptor blocker)
A class of drug that reduces blood pressure levels, and may be especially helpful in people with CKD and protein in the urine.
There's more info on ARB's on our Medication page.
Arteries
Blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Autoimmune
Conditions where the body reacts against its own cells. This can cause kidney disease and also other conditions such as thyroid disease. These conditions are detected using specialist blood tests.
B
BP
Abbreviation for blood pressure. The pressure in the arteries measured by a cuff and a sphygmomanometer. High blood pressure is associated with heart attack and stroke and low blood pressure may reduce the healthy functioning of the kidneys.
C
Calcium
Mineral important throughout the body, especially in bones. Blood level may fall as the kidneys fail to produce activated vitamin Din CKD stages 4 and 5.
Calcium channel blockers
Tablets which are used to treat blood pressure and angina.
CAPD
Abbreviation for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. A continuous form of PD in which a person performs the exchanges of dialysis fluid by hand. The fluid is usually exchanged four times during the day, and is left inside the person's body overnight.
Cardiovascular
A group of conditions where there is disease of the arteries in the body such as heart attack and angina, stroke and peripheral vascular disease where there is narrowing of the large arteries in the legs.
Catheter
A flexible plastic tube used to enter the interior of the body. Different types of catheter may be used for dialysis or to drain urine from the bladder.
Cells
The tiny units from which all living things are built up. Cells in different parts of the body look different from each other and perform different functions (for example, skin cells are very different from blood cells).
Cholesterol
A fatty substance, one of several different types of fat found in the body. If blood vessels are damaged, cholesterol can be deposited, eventually causing narrowing. Associated with heart attacks and strokes.
You can read more about managing cholesterol on our Lifestyle page.
Chronic
Present for a long time - in CKD for at least 3 months and of slow onset, not usually requiring immediate action.
CKD
Abbreviation for 'chronic kidney disease'. This includes both chronic kidney failure and milder forms of kidney disease.
Find out more about chronic kidney disease.
Clearance
The removal of the toxic waste products of food from the body. Clearance is one of the main functions of the kidneys. In CKD, clearance is reduced and toxins from metabolism, and also medications, built up in the blood.
Creatinine
A waste substance produced by the muscles. The higher the blood creatinine level, the worse the kidneys are working. The blood creatinine level is used to calculate the eGFR, an estimate of kidney function.
CRF
Abbreviation for 'chronic renal failure', in which the kidneys are working at less than one third (30%) of normal.
CT Scan
Abbreviation for 'chronic renal failure', in which the kidneys are working at less than one third (30%) of normal.
D
Diabetes
A condition where your body is not able to deal with glucose in your blood. It may be associated with a deficiency of insulin (type 1) or a loss of sensitivity to insulin often associated with being overweight (type 2). Longstanding diabetes of both types may be associated with kidney damage. The first sign of this is a lack of albumin into your urine.
Find out more about Diabetes.
Dialysis
An artificial process by which the toxic waste products of food and excess water are removed from the body. This can be directly from the blood, as in haemodialysis, or from the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneal dialysis). It usually needs to be performed several times each week over several hours. Dialysis improves symptoms but is not a cure.
Find out more about Dialysis
Diastolic blood pressure
A blood pressure reading taken when the heart is relaxed. It is taken after the systolic blood pressure and is the second figure in a blood pressure measurement.
Donor
A person who donates (gives) an organ to another person (the recipient).
E
eGFR
Abbreviation for estimated glomerular filtration rate.
End-stage renal failure (ESRF)
A term for advanced chronic kidney failure. People who develop ESRF will die within a few weeks unless they are treated by dialysis or transplantation. These treatments control ESRF but cannot cure it.
EPO
Abbreviation for erythropoietin.
Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA)
A substance which is used for the treatment of anaemia
Erythropoeitin (EPO)
A hormone made by healthy kidneys, which stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells.
ESA
An abbreviation for 'Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agent'. This term is sometimes used instead of EPO and means essentially the same thing, but some of the new injections used to boost Hb are not strictly speaking EPO.
Established renal failure (ERF)
A term for advanced chronic kidney failure, which is also Stage 5 CKD. People who develop ERF may die within a few months unless they are treated by dialysis or transplantation. These treatments control ERF but cannot cure it.
Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)
Measurement of kidney function, calculated from the blood level of creatinine. The eGFR defines the stage of CKD.
F
Fistula
An enlarged vein, usually at the wrist or elbow that gives access to the blood stream for haemodialysis. The fistula is created by a surgeon in a minor operation. This increases the flow of blood through the vein and causes it to enlarge, making it suitable for haemodialysis needles.
G
g/l
An abbreviation for grams per litre, the units used for the concentration of Hb in the blood.
Glomerulus
A delicate part of the kidney that controls filtering. It's about the size of a pinhead.
Glomerulonephritis.
Disease of the glomerulus, which will be autoimmune.
H
Haemodialysis
A form of dialysis in which the blood is cleaned outside the body, in a machine called a dialysis machine or kidney machine. Each dialysis session lasts for 3-5 hours, and sessions are usually needed three times a week.
Find out more about Dialysis.
Haemoglobin (Hb)
A substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. A low Hb level indicated anaemia.
Hormone
A chemical messenger that travels around the body in the blood and controls how other parts of the body work.
Hypertension
High blood pressure, usually over 140/90.
I
J
K
Kidneys
The two bean-shaped body organs where urine is made. They are located at the back of the body, below the ribs.
L
M
Mmol/L
Abbreviation for millimoles per litre. A unit used to measure the blood levels of many substances. Creatinine is measured in smaller units called micromoles per litre.
N
Nephrologist
A doctor who specialises in kidney disease, dialysis and transplantation.
P
PD
Abbreviation for peritoneal dialysis.
See our Dialysis page for more information.
Peritoneal cavity
The area between the two layers of the peritoneum inside the tummy. The peritoneal cavity contains the abdominal organs, including the stomach, liver and bowels. It normally contains only about 100ml of liquid, but expands easily to provide a reservoir for the dialysis fluid in peritoneal dialysis.
Peritonitis
Inflammation of the peritoneum, caused by an infection. People on peritoneal dialysis risk getting peritonitis if they touch the connection between their PD catheter and the bags of dialysis fluid. Most attacks are easily treated with antibiotic drugs.
Phosphate
A mineral that helps calcium to strengthen the bones. Phosphate is obtained from foods such as dairy products, nuts and meat. In kidney failure, phosphate tends to build up in the blood.
Potassium
A mineral that is normally present in the blood, and which is measured in a biochemistry blood test. Either too much or too little potassium can be dangerous, causing the heart to stop. People with CKD will have their potassium level measured when the eGFR is checked, and will be advised if the level of potassium is abnormal.
Protein
An important building block in the body. Carried around the body in the blood, appears in the urine in some people with CKD.
Protein-creatine ratio (PCR)
A measurement of the level of protein in the urine, superseded by albumin-creatinine ration (ACR)
Q
R
Recipient
In the context of transplantation, a person who receives an organ from another person (the donor).
Red blood cells
Cells in the blood which carry oxygen from the lungs around the body. Also known as erythrocytes.
Renal
Relating to the kidneys.
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
Sometimes called 'renal adenocarcinoma' - it is the most common type of kidney cancer.
Find out more about Kidney cancer.
S
Salt
Sodium chloride, which is used in food as a preservative and for flavour (Lo-salt contains potassium which may not be safe if potassium levels are high).
Sodium
A mineral, normally present in the blood, that comes from salt (sodium chloride). Sodium retention exacerbates high blood pressure, and most people with CKD will benefit from reducing the sodium in their diet.
Statin
A group of similar drugs used to reduce the blood levels of cholesterol. The names of the drugs end in "-statin".
Systolic blood pressure
A blood pressure reading taken when the heart squeezes as it beats. The systolic blood pressure is the first figure in a blood pressure measurement.
T
Transplant kidney
A kidney removed from one person (the donor) and given to another person (the recipient). Transplant kidneys may come from a donor who has died, or from a living donor who should have a genuine relationship with the person needing the kidney even if they are not related by blood.
Find out more about Transplants.
U
Ultrasound
A scan of the kidneys or bladder (and other internal organs) using sound waves to take pictures. This does not use radiation and is safe in pregnancy.
Urine
The liquid produced by the kidneys, consisting of the toxic waste products of food and the excess water from the blood.
Urologist
A surgeon specialising in the kidneys and bladder.
V
Veins
Blood vessels which carry blood from the body back to the heart.
Von Hippel-Lindau disease
A hereditary disease that affects blood vessels in the brain, eyes, and other body parts.