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\nNephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms that indicate your kidneys are not working properly. These symptoms include
\nYour kidneys are made up of about a million filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron includes a filter, called the glomerulus, and a tubule. The glomerulus filters your blood, and the tubule returns needed substances to your blood and removes wastes and extra water, which become urine. Nephrotic syndrome usually happens when the glomeruli are inflamed, allowing too much protein to leak from your blood into your urine.
\nNephrotic syndrome is a combination of symptoms that can occur due to different causes. Among adults, the syndrome is most often caused by rare kidney diseases.
\nNephrotic syndrome can affect children and adults of all ages.1
\nNephrotic syndrome can lead to serious complications, including2
\nSymptoms of nephrotic syndrome can include3
\nMany disorders can cause nephrotic syndrome, including diseases that affect only the kidneys and diseases that affect many parts of the body, such as diabetes and lupus.
\nDiseases that affect only the kidneys and lead to nephrotic syndrome are called primary causes of nephrotic syndrome. The most common primary causes of nephrotic syndrome are3
\nOther causes of nephrotic syndrome, also called secondary causes, include3
\nYour health care professional can diagnose nephrotic syndrome through urine tests. The urine tests show if you are losing too much protein in your urine.
\nUrine dipstick test. This simple test checks for albumin in your urine. Having albumin in the urine is called albuminuria. You collect the urine sample in a container during a visit to a health care professional\u2019s office or lab. A health care professional places a strip of chemically treated paper, called a dipstick, into the urine for the test. The dipstick changes color if albumin is present in the urine.
\nTo confirm the diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome, your health care professional may order one of these two urine tests
\nYour health care professional may also order blood tests to check for low levels of protein in your blood and other problems linked to nephrotic syndrome.
\nOnce nephrotic syndrome has been diagnosed, your health care professional will use tests to identify what caused it and check your kidney function. Tests for finding the cause of nephrotic syndrome can include3
\nTreatment varies according to symptoms, causes, and the extent of kidney damage. Symptoms of nephrotic syndrome are most often treated with these medicines3
\nIn some cases, your health care professional may also prescribe medicines that lower cholesterol, called statins. Blood thinners may also be used, but usually only if you develop a blood clot.
\nPeople with nephrotic syndrome should receive the pneumococcal vaccine, along with yearly flu shots, to prevent viral and bacterial infections.
\nOther treatments vary, depending on underlying causes. In some cases, you may need to take medicines that suppress your immune system. For more on how health care professionals treat the underlying causes of nephrotic syndrome, see the NIDDK health topic Glomerular Diseases.
\nOnce the cause has been treated, nephrotic syndrome may go away and kidney function returns to normal. Some patients may experience periods of remission followed by times when symptoms reappear. In some cases, nephrotic syndrome may lead to kidney failure.
\nEating, diet, and nutrition have not been shown to play a role in causing or preventing nephrotic syndrome. However, if you have developed nephrotic syndrome, your health care professional may recommend that you
\nThe NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including kidney diseases. The trials look to find new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease and improve quality of life.
\nClinical trials\u2014and other types of clinical studies\u2014are part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help doctors and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.
\nResearchers are studying many aspects of nephrotic syndrome, such as
\nFind out if clinical studies are right for you.
\nWatch a video of NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials.
\nYou can view a filtered list of clinical studies on nephrotic syndrome that are federally funded, open, and recruiting at www.ClinicalTrials.gov. You can expand or narrow the list to include clinical studies from industry, universities, and individuals; however, the National Institutes of Health does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe. Always talk with your health care provider before you participate in a clinical study.
\nThis content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.
The NIDDK would like to thank:
Andrew S. Bomback, M.D., Columbia University Irving Medical Center