This research paper explores the age related changes associated with the urinary system, specifically the kidneys, and the debilitating effects derived from theses changes. There are a variety of sources used in this paper to present the most factual information about renal disease as possible, including: books, peer-reviewed articles, and professional websites. In this research paper it is discussed how one develops renal disease, the effects of renal disease, and possible prevention and treatment of renal disease, and the specific statistics pertaining to renal disease. Considering age related changes associated within the kidneys are normal, this paper is geared toward the geriatric population and their experiences with changing or even failing kidneys due to other factors in life in addition to aging. …show more content…
Causes
Renal or kidney disease can develop in two forms, acute and chronic. The acute renal failure (ARF) is a sudden change in renal efficiency and requires immediate medical attention. Toxins remaining in the body, hypovolemia, a weak blood supply to the kidneys, and trauma of the kidneys are the leading causes of acute renal failure (Lowth, 2016). This life-threatening issue can typically be detected and diagnosed by a curt alteration in the concentration of creatinine serum (Coca, 2010). Creatinine is the product of muscle use released and excreted by the kidneys. With this, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) can be found to measure the filtration of blood capacity through the kidneys each minute dependent on the patient’s size. However, considering the GFR cannot actually be measured, an estimated GFR is used to find the change over time in kidney efficiency. This meaning, if the kidneys are not functioning, as they should then the creatinine in the blood levels will increase (Lowth, 2016). However, researchers of a twenty-year renal study, Druml, Lenz, and Laggner, agree that the GFR used to detect kidney