What is IgA nephropathy kidney disease?

IgA nephropathy is a disease in which IgA protein builds up in and damages the filtering part of the kidney (glomerulus). The damage may cause few or no symptoms. Blood in the urine is the most common symptom. The condition is diagnosed by blood and urine tests.

What is the life expectancy of someone with IgA nephropathy?

Median age at death was 77.0 years (95% CI, 75.9 to 78.0) in patients with IgAN, compared with 83.0 years (95% CI, 82.4 to 83.5) in controls, representing a reduction in median life expectancy of 6.0 years.

Is IgA nephropathy life threatening?

IgA nephropathy affects millions of people worldwide. While IgA nephropathy is a lifelong disease, for most people it doesn’t progress to anything serious. Treatment typically involves controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol levels with medications.

Can you recover from IgA nephropathy?

Some patients spontaneously undergo a complete remission of symptoms and never experience a loss of kidney function. More often, the symptoms will stabilize, or the disease will progress slowly. On average, at 20 years (from diagnosis), 20% of patients will have moved to end stage kidney disease.

How did I get IgA nephropathy?

IgA nephropathy occurs when IgA protein gets stuck in kidneys causing inflammation. The inflammation causes your kidneys to leak blood and protein (usually immediately) and over the course of many years, your kidneys can lose function and lead to kidney failure.

Is IgA nephropathy a rare disease?

IgA nephropathy is one of the most common kidney diseases. While people of any age, gender or ethnicity can have it, the disease is more common in men than in women. It is also more common in whites and Asians than it is among other races and ethnicities.

How do you treat high IgA levels?

Your doctor may suggest steps you can take to reduce inflammation. Some complementary approaches include yoga, herbal supplements (curcumin), and following a healthy diet. Studies suggest that cocoa, avoiding heavy drinking, and refraining from fasting may also reduce inflammation and lower IgA levels.

Is a high IgA serious?

High IgA usually points to chronic infections or inflammation, though diverse disorders can raise its levels. In adults, values above 300 mg/dL are considered high by most labs. High levels do not cause any symptoms. Symptoms depend on the underlying cause and health status, which should be evaluated by a physician.

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