12.5: Abnormal and Disease Changes in Kidneys

Aging is associated with an increase in the risk of developing kidney diseases such as infections. However, the age-related rise in most kidney diseases results from an increase in factors outside the urinary system that cause adverse changes in the kidneys. Examples include age changes such as reduced white blood cell functioning, abnormal conditions such as autoimmune problems and drug toxicity, and diseases such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and prostatic hypertrophy. Abnormal and disease conditions in the kidneys can be prevented or minimized by avoiding, compensating for, or treating these nonurinary factors.

Abnormal and disease conditions of the kidneys become more important with age because aging has already reduced some kidney functions. Many conditions are serious threats since the kidneys play several essential roles in maintaining homeostasis. However, abnormal and disease conditions of the kidneys are not discussed in this book because they become neither sufficiently more frequent nor unusual in the elderly and are not among the most common disorders in older people.

For short videos on topics on interest, search Blausen. For images of diseases, I highly recommend searching WebPath: The Internet Pathology Laboratory , the excellent complete version of which can be purchased on a CD.

For a photo of urinary bladder stones, go to Preserved Specimen Photos .

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