GLOSSARY OF COMMON MEDICAL TERMS RELATED CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Artery:
A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the farthest reaches of the body. Since blood in arteries is usually full of oxygen, the hemoglobin in the red blood cells is oxygenated. The resultant form of hemoglobin (oxyhemoglobin) is what makes arterial blood look bright red.

Bladder:
Any pouch or other flexible enclosure that can hold liquids or gases but usually refers to the hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine—the urinary bladder. The kidneys filter waste from the blood and produce urine, which enters the bladder through two tubes called ureters. Urine leaves the bladder through another tube, the urethra In women, the urethra is a short tube that opens just in front of the vagina. In men, it is longer, passing through the prostate gland and then the penis . Infection of the bladder is called cystitis.

Blood:
The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and
kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.

Blood vessels: The blood vessels are composed of arteries, veins and capillaries—arteries that pass oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the body; veins which return oxygen-depleted blood from the tissues to the lungs for oxygen; and the capillaries that are the tiniest vessels and are between the arteries and veins. Arteries take oxygenated blood to the kidney and the veins take non-oxygenated blood back to the heart.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle.  It’s measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called “ hypertension .”

Blood urea nitrogen: Abbreviated BUN. A measure primarily of the urea level in blood. Urea is cleared by the kidney. Diseases that compromise the function of the kidney frequently lead to an increased BUN.

BUN: Blood urea nitrogen. A measure primarily of the urea level in blood. Urea is cleared by the kidney and diseases which compromises the function of the kidney will frequently lead to increased blood levels. The blood BUN level can also rise in patients who are dehydrated.

Calcitriol: The active form of vitamin D. Calcitriol is formed in the kidneys or made in the laboratory. It is used as a drug to increase calcium levels in the body in order to treat skeletal and tissue-related calcium deficiencies caused by kidney or thyroid disorders.

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bones by cells called osteoblasts and is removed from bones by cells called osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones. It is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and collards, canned salmon, clams, oysters, calcium-fortified foods, and tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1,200 milligrams a day (four glasses of milk) for men and women 51 and older, 1,000 milligrams a day for adults 19 through 50, and 1,300 milligrams a day for children 9 through 18. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily.

Capillaries: Capillaries are the smallest of blood vessels. They serve to distribute oxygenated blood from arteries to the tissues of the body and to feed deoxygenated blood from the tissues back into the veins. The capillaries are thus a central component in the circulatory system, essentially between the arteries and the veins. When pink areas of skin are compressed, this causes blanching because blood is pressed out of the capillaries. The blood is the fluid in the body that contains, among other elements, the red blood cells (erythrocytes) that carry the oxygen and give the blood its red color.

Chronic: This important term in medicine comes from the Greek chronos, time and means lasting a long time.

Chronic renal failure: Slow progressive loss of kidney function over the span of years, resulting in permanent kidney failure. Chronic kidney disease is common and may go undiagnosed until the process is far advanced and renal failure is on the horizon. People with permanent kidney failure need dialysis or a transplanted kidney to do the work of their failed kidneys. Also known as chronic kidney failure.

Circulation: The movement of fluid in a regular or circuitous course. Although the noun “circulation” does not necessarily refer to the circulation of the blood, for all practical purposes today it does. Heart failure is an example of a problem with the circulation.

Creatinine: A chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. Creatinine is produced from creatine, a molecule of major importance for energy production in muscles. Approximately 2% of the body’s creatine is converted to creatinine every day. Creatinine is transported through the bloodstream to the kidneys. The kidneys filter out most of the creatinine and dispose of it in the urine.

Diabetes mellitus: Better known just as “ diabetes “—a chronic disease associated with abnormally high levels of the sugar glucose in the blood. Diabetes is due to one of two mechanisms:
(1) Inadequate production of insulin (which is made by the pancreas and lowers blood glucose) or
(2) Inadequate sensitivity of cells to the action of insulin.
The two main types of diabetes correspond to these two mechanisms and are called insulin dependent (type 1) and non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes. In type 1 diabetes there is no insulin or not enough of it. In type 2 diabetes, there is generally enough insulin but the cells upon it should act are not normally sensitive to its action.

Diabetic nephropathy: The kidney disease associated with long-standing diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy is also called Kimmelstiel-Wilson disease (or Kimmelstiel-Wilson syndrome) or intercapillary glomerulonephritis.

Dialysis: The process of cleansing the blood by passing it through a special machine. Dialysis is necessary when the kidneys are not able to filter the blood. Dialysis allows patients with kidney failure a chance to live productive lives. There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Each type of dialysis has advantages and disadvantages. Patients can often choose the type of long term dialysis that best matches their needs.

Donor: The giver of a tissue or organ, for example, of blood or a kidney.

Glomerulus: 1.In the kidney, a tiny ball-shaped structure composed of capillary blood vessels actively involved in the filtration of the blood to form urine. The glomerulus is one of the key structures that make up the nephron , the functional unit of the kidney. 2. In the olfactory bulb , an anatomically discrete module receiving input from an olfactory sensory neuron .

High blood pressure :Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure is, by definition, a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg—a systolic pressure above 140 with a diastolic pressure above 90.

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen which clear “poisons” from the blood, regulate acid concentration and maintain water balance in the body by excreting urine. The kidneys are part of the urinary tract. The urine then passes through connecting tubes called “ureters” into the bladder. The bladder stores the urine until it is released during urination.

Kidney transplant: Replacement of a diseased, damaged, or missing kidney with a donor kidney. Also called a renal transplant.

Nephrology: The art and science of the care of the kidney.

Nephron: A key unit, both anatomically and functionally, of the kidney.

Nephropathy: Any kidney disease. For example, there is diabetic nephropathy, gouty nephropathy, HIV-associated nephropathy, ischemic nephropathy, sickle cell nephropathy,and so on. From the Greek “nephros” (kidney) + “pathos” (disease).

Neuropathy: Any and all disease or malfunction of the nerves.

Obesity: The state of being well above one’s normal weight.

Pancreas: A fish-shaped spongy grayish-pink organ about 6 inches (15 cm) long that stretches across the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. The head of the pancreas is on the right side of the abdomen and is connected to the duodenum (the first section of the small intestine). The narrow end of the pancreas, called the tail, extends to the left side of the body.

Peripheral neuropathy : A problem with the functioning of the nerves outside the spinal cord. Symptoms may include numbness, weakness, burning pain (especially at night), and loss of reflexes.

Red blood cell: The blood cell that carries oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is the hemoglobin which permits them to transport oxygen (and carbon dioxide). Hemoglobin, aside from being a transport molecule, is a pigment. It gives the cell its red color (and name).

Renal: Having to do with the kidney. From the Latin renes (the kidneys), which gave the French les reins which mean both the kidneys and the lower back.

Transplant: The grafting of a tissue from one place to another, just as in botany a bud from one plant might be grafted onto the stem of another. The transplanting of tissue can be from one part of the patient to another (autologous transplantation), as in the case of a skin graft using the patient’s own skin; or from one patient to another (allogenic transplantation), as in the case of transplanting a donor kidney into a recipient.
Urea: A nitrogen-containing substance normally cleared from the blood by the kidney into the urine . Diseases that compromise the function of the kidney often lead to increased blood levels of urea, as measured by the blood urea nitrogen ( BUN ) test.

Urethra: The transport tube leading from the bladder to discharge urine outside the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine. In females, the urethra is shorter than in the male and emerges above the vaginal opening, as indicated here:

Urinalysis : A test that determines the content of the urine. Because urine removes toxins and excess liquids from the body, it can contain important clues. Urinalysis can be used to detect some types of disease, particularly in the case of metabolic disorders and kidney disease. It can also be used to uncover evidence of drug abuse .

Urinary: Having to do with the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. The urinary system represents the functional and anatomic aspects of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.

Urinary tract: The organs of the body that produce and discharge urine. These include the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.

Urine: Liquid waste. The urine is a clear, transparent fluid. It normally has an amber color. The average amount of urine excreted in 24 hours is from 40 to 60 ounces (about 1,200 cubic centimeters). Chemically, the urine is mainly an aqueous (watery) solution of salt (sodium chloride) and substances called urea and uric acid. Normally, it contains about 960 parts of water to 40 parts of solid matter. Abnormally, it may contain sugar (in diabetes), albumen (a protein) (as in some forms of kidney disease), bile pigments (as in jaundice ), or abnormal quantities of one or another of its normal components.

Vascular: Relating to the blood vessels of the body. The blood vessels of the body, as a group, are referred to as the vascular system. The blood vessels are composed of arteries, veins and capillaries—arteries that pass oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the body; veins which return oxygen-depleted blood from the tissues to the lungs for oxygen; and the capillaries that are the tiniest vessels and are between the arteries and veins.

Vein: A blood vessel that carries blood low in oxygen content from the body back to the heart. The deoxygenated form of hemoglobin (deoxyhemoglobin) in venous blood makes it appear dark. Veins are part of the afferent wing of the circulatory system which returns blood to the heart.

Source:
List is modified from the Chronic Kidney Disease Glossary of Medical Terms at http://www.emedicinehealth.com/chronic_kidney_disease/glossary_em.htm. Retrieved September 25, 2008.

Resources for Glossary of Terms

The site of the E Medicine Health - Practical Guide to Health, is a glossary of common terms related to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Click here.

The site of the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) contains words that people use talk or write about kidney failure and its treatments. Click here.

This publication of the National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) has a glossary of terms that relate to kidney failure.  Click here.