Description
A Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) test measures the amount of nitrogen in your blood, and is used to provide doctors with information on how well your kidneys and liver are functioning. Urea is the principle waste product of protein catabolism.
BUN is most commonly measured in the diagnosis and treatment of certain renal and metabolic diseases. Muscle metabolism leads to a chemical waste product called creatinine which normally gets filtered out of the body through urination. Increased creatinine levels in the blood may suggest kidney disease or other conditions that affect kidney function. Daily creatinine production is fairly constant except when there is massive injury to muscle. When results of a creatinine test reveal excess amounts, it could signify impaired kidney function or kidney disease.
By analyzing BUN and Creatinine test, doctors can use the combined results to find the BUN-to-creatinine ratio. The BUN and creatinine tests alone are excellent methods of testing liver and kidney health, but together, doctors get a much better understanding of your kidney health and can provide a more accurate diagnosis to kidney-related issues. BUN/Creatinine Ratio test are to evaluate the health of your kidneys, to diagnose kidney disease, and to monitor the effectiveness of treatments related to kidney disease or damage.
