Nephrosis

To diagnose nephrotic syndrome, your doctor will first take your medical history. You’ll be asked about your symptoms, any medications you’re taking, and whether you have any underlying health conditions.

Your doctor will also perform a physical examination. This can include things like measuring your blood pressure and listening to your heart.

Several tests are used to help diagnose nephrotic syndrome. They include:

Urine tests. You’ll be asked to provide a sample of urine. This can be sent to a laboratory to determine whether you have high amounts of protein in your urine. In some cases, you may be asked to collect urine over a 24-hour period.

Blood tests. In these tests, a sample of blood will be taken from a vein in your arm. This sample can be analyzed to check blood markers of overall kidney function, blood levels of albumin, and cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Ultrasound. An ultrasound uses sound waves to create an image of your kidneys. Your doctor can use the images created to evaluate the structure of your kidneys.

Biopsy. During a biopsy, a small sample of kidney tissue will be collected. This can be sent to a lab for further testing and can help to determine what may be causing your condition.

Treatment for nephrotic syndrome involves treating any medical condition that might be causing your nephrotic syndrome. Your doctor might also recommend medications and changes in your diet to help control your signs and symptoms or treat complications of nephrotic syndrome.

Medications might include:

Blood pressure medications. Drugs called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors reduce blood pressure and the amount of protein released in urine. Medications in this category include lisinopril (Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestril), benazepril (Lotensin), captopril and enalapril (Vasotec).

Another group of drugs that works similarly is called angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and includes losartan (Cozaar) and valsartan (Diovan). Other medications, such as renin inhibitors, also might be used, though ACE inhibitors and ARBs are generally used first.

Water pills (diuretics). These help control swelling by increasing your kidneys' fluid output. Diuretic medications typically include furosemide (Lasix). Others include spironolactone (Aldactone, Carospir) and thiazides, such as hydrochlorothiazide or metolazone (Zaroxolyn).

Cholesterol-reducing medications. Statins can help lower cholesterol levels. However, it's not clear whether cholesterol-lowering medications can improve the outcomes for people with nephrotic syndrome, such as avoiding heart attacks or decreasing the risk of early death.

Statins include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol XL), lovastatin (Altoprev), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor, Ezallor) and simvastatin (Zocor).

Blood thinners (anticoagulants). These might be prescribed to decrease your blood's ability to clot, especially if you've had a blood clot. Anticoagulants include heparin, warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), dabigatran (Pradaxa), apixaban (Eliquis) and rivaroxaban (Xarelto).

Immune system-suppressing medications. Medications to control the immune system, such as corticosteroids, can decrease the inflammation that accompanies some of the conditions that can cause nephrotic syndrome. Medications include rituximab (Rituxan), cyclosporine and cyclophosphamide.