Friend PRAMITA, in inside body our there is a pair of organ vital that works without stop like a sophisticated water filter, that is kidney. Kidney is tasked to filter blood, dispose of harmful waste substances, and maintain the balance of body fluids. However, how do we know if this "filter" is working well? The answer is in the examination of Ureum and Creatinine.

1. What Is Ureum and Creatinine?
Ureum and Creatinine are two types of "waste substances" or natural waste products that exist in the blood. Just consider both of them as "trash" resulting from the body's metabolism.

Ureum is the final waste that comes from the breakdown of protein that we consume (for example from meat, fish, and eggs).

Creatinine is the waste produced from daily muscle activity.

In a normal condition, a healthy kidney will filter and dispose of both of these substances from the blood through urine. Therefore, measuring the levels of Ureum and Creatinine in the blood becomes the most basic screening examination method to assess whether kidney function is optimal or is experiencing a decline.

2. What Diseases Can Be Detected?
Abnormal levels of Ureum and Creatinine can be a marker for various health conditions. An increase in both levels is often a primary signal of impaired kidney function, both acute (occurs suddenly) and chronic (occurs slowly). In addition, this examination can also help detect other problems that affect the kidneys, such as severe dehydration, blockages in the urinary tract (for example due to kidney stones), to conditions that decrease blood flow to the kidneys such as heart failure.

3. Understanding the Examination Results
The examination results must always be interpreted by a doctor. However, in general, if high levels of Ureum and Creatinine are found in the blood, this can be likened to trash piling up at home because the cleaning service (kidneys) is not working properly. This condition is a strong indicator of a decrease in the kidney's ability to filter blood. Conversely, levels lower than normal are rarer, but can point to conditions such as malnutrition or very low muscle mass.

4. When Is This Examination Recommended?
The examination of Ureum and Creatinine is very important to be done routinely, especially for Friend PRAMITA who has risk factors for kidney disease. This examination is recommended if Friend PRAMITA:

Has diabetes mellitus (sugar disease) or hypertension (high blood pressure).

Has a family history of kidney disease.

Is over 50 years old.

Experiences symptoms such as swelling in the legs, changes in the frequency or color of urination, getting tired easily, and loss of appetite.