Urea in the blood: norms, reasons for the increase, ways to reduce the concentration. Symptoms of low urea. How to lower urea levels at home

Pregnant women are often prescribed a biochemical blood test. This analysis helps to identify many pathologies that can affect the bearing and development of the fetus. However, during such a period, test results may deviate from the norm due to hormonal changes in the body. Often, when analyzing biochemistry, it turns out that a woman has low urea in her blood during pregnancy. What is the reason for such indicators and how dangerous is it? We will consider these questions in detail below.

What is urea

Urea is one of the products of protein metabolism. Otherwise, this compound is called urea. During the period of gestation, the metabolism of proteins (proteins) is significantly accelerated, since these substances are necessary for the placenta and the normal development of the embryo.

Urea is the end product of protein metabolism. This substance is excreted from the body mainly through the excretory organs. The accumulation of such decay products is harmful. Urea refers to ammonia compounds and is toxic to both the expectant mother and the fetus. This applies to elevated levels of urea. However, a low blood urea during pregnancy also indicates a pathology.

During the gestational period, the body contains a large amount of fluid. In addition, they try to dispose of harmful substances as soon as possible in order to protect the fetus. These factors lead to a decrease in blood urea during pregnancy. However, the drop in the level of urea is not always associated with natural causes. In some cases, this can be caused by various pathologies.

Analysis norms

As already mentioned, the level of urea can be detected by biochemical analysis. For this study, blood is taken from a vein. You can do this test at any clinic. At the same time, indicators of cholesterol, creatinine, glucose and other compounds are also determined.

The norm of urea in the blood during pregnancy is considered to be from 2.5 to 7.1 mmol / l. This applies to the first half. In the third trimester, the value of 6.3 mmol / l is considered the upper limit of the norm. In late pregnancy, the excretion of harmful substances from the body, as a rule, increases. The organs of excretion during such a period work especially actively.

The results of the analysis must be shown to the attending physician. If there are deviations from the norm, the specialist will prescribe additional diagnostic tests.

Reasons for reducing carbamide

Decreased during pregnancy may be due to the following reasons:

• hepatic pathologies;
• dysfunction of the pituitary and hypothalamus;
• kidney disease;
• pathologies of the stomach and intestines;
• the use of certain drugs;
• lack of protein in the diet.

If deviations in the analysis are associated with malnutrition or medication, then such causes can be easily eliminated. In these cases, it is enough to introduce protein-rich foods into the diet, or reduce the dosage of drugs. Usually, after this, the level of urea in the blood during pregnancy returns to normal. If the deviations in the analysis are caused by pathology, then it is necessary to undergo a course of therapy for the underlying disease.

Liver disease

Liver disease is the most common cause of urea depletion. This organ is involved in the processing of proteins. The deterioration of its work always leads to metabolic disorders.

The reason for the decrease in carbamide can be hepatitis, cirrhosis, as well as liver tumors. As a result, in a pregnant woman, protein metabolism decreases and urea is formed in small quantities. Such pathologies are usually accompanied by pain on the right side under the ribs, yellowing of the skin and dyspeptic symptoms.

Taking certain medications can adversely affect the liver and lead to a drop in urea levels. These medicines include:

• preparations containing acetylsalicylic acid;
• cephalosporin antibiotics;
• antibacterial drugs based on tetracycline;
• cytostatics.

These drugs should not be taken during pregnancy. This is due not only to their hepatotoxicity. Such drugs can adversely affect the development of the fetus.

Pituitary and hypothalamic disorders

Diseases of the pituitary gland can also lead to the fact that a woman has low blood urea during pregnancy. This may be due to such a serious illness as acromegaly. With this pathology, the patient has an increased level of growth hormone (somatotropin). It inhibits the formation of urea.

The disease manifests itself in the growth of the facial part of the skull, hands and feet. The most common cause of the pathology is a tumor of the pituitary gland. A woman needs to consult an endocrinologist and a neurosurgeon. With a large tumor in the second trimester, an operation is performed to remove the neoplasm. Surgical intervention is carried out in the most gentle way - through the nasal passage.

Another reason for the decrease in urea may be excessive release of antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin). This substance is produced in the hypothalamus. This condition is called Parkon's syndrome. With this pathology, the level of sodium and urea in the blood drops. The disease is accompanied by a sharp weight loss, convulsions and vomiting. It is necessary to limit the amount of fluid consumed and take vasopressin antagonists.

Diseases of the excretory organs

Often, patients with kidney disease have low blood urea during pregnancy. This is noted in nephrotic syndrome. This condition is accompanied by edema, loss of proteins and an increase in lipid levels. Biochemical parameters of blood have serious deviations from the norm. Due to the increased excretion of proteins, the level of urea is sharply reduced.

Pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract

Urea can be lowered due to irritable bowel syndrome or enteritis. With such diseases, the absorption of proteins and other useful substances worsens. Gastroenterologists call this condition malabsorption. It is characterized by anemia, diarrhea, beriberi, and a feeling of constant fatigue.

A decrease in carbamide is also noted in patients with pancreatitis. Chronic inflammation in the pancreas adversely affects protein metabolism. The patient complains of pain in the middle of the abdomen and nausea.

Strict diet

Often, blood urea is lowered during pregnancy in women who follow a vegetarian diet. Protein is found mainly in meat foods. If a woman excludes such food from the diet, then this leads to a protein deficiency and a decrease in urea. If the expectant mother is a supporter of vegetarianism, then you should eat as many other protein-rich foods as possible. They can replace meat food. Such food includes:

• eggs;
• milk products;
• dishes from legumes;
• walnuts;
• buckwheat;
• mushrooms.

You should not completely deprive your body of protein foods. During pregnancy, it is unacceptable to adhere to too strict diets. After all, proteins are necessary for the normal development of the fetus.

Signs of a decrease in carbamide

A decrease in the level of urea adversely affects the general well-being of a pregnant woman and the development of the fetus. In this case, the following symptoms are noted:

• the appearance of edema;
• small weight gain;
• increase in hemoglobin in the second and third trimester;
• high blood pressure;
• intrauterine growth retardation.

If you find such manifestations in yourself, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination. This may be a sign of low protein and urea levels.

How to prepare for analysis

It is important to remember that in some cases a biochemistry test can give false results. Therefore, it is important to properly prepare for the study.

Such an analysis is always taken on an empty stomach. Before the study, physical exertion and stress should be avoided. If the patient is taking any medication, then the doctor should be warned about this.

If urea is elevated

There are cases when a pregnant woman has increased urea in the blood. The reason for this is most often uremic syndrome, in which kidney function is impaired. This condition is a complication of infectious diseases. Sometimes uremic syndrome develops after vaccinations. Therefore, during pregnancy, it is necessary to protect yourself from infection with viruses and bacteria, and it is better to postpone vaccination until the postpartum period.

However, often even in the absence of renal pathologies, the patient has increased urea in the blood. The reasons for this can be burns, intestinal obstruction, leukemia, bleeding.

Carbamide is a toxic substance and an increase in its level adversely affects the health of a woman and an unborn baby. The patient complains of nausea, abdominal pain and fatigue.

How to normalize the level of urea

If a decrease or increase in carbamide is caused by pathologies, then an additional examination is necessary. Then, based on the results of the tests, the doctor prescribes treatment.

After completing the course of treatment and adjusting the diet, the urea level returns to normal. During pregnancy, it is very important to pay attention to the biochemical composition of the blood. After all, any deviation from the norm can adversely affect the condition of the fetus, and then the health of the newborn.

The situation when, as a result of a study of tests, it turns out that a person has low urea in the blood is quite rare.

Usually the opposite happens, doctors say that the level of urea in the blood is high, and give recommendations on how to reduce it.

To understand the reasons why it became possible to reduce urea in the blood, you must first understand what urea (or carbamide) is as a chemical compound.

In everyday life, urea is called an organic mineral nitrogen-containing fertilizer.

Of course, urea in the blood, the level of which is determined after studying the tests, has a rather indirect relation to the fertilizer in the garden, although they have the same chemical formula.

Urea in the human body is formed in a rather complicated way. The breakdown of proteins in the digestive tract is accompanied by the formation of nitrogenous compounds, one of which is ammonia.

This is an incredibly toxic substance, and in order to prevent intoxication of the body with this product of protein breakdown, the human liver processes ammonia, turning it into urea.

Then urea, which is a chemical compound that is no longer so dangerous compared to ammonia, enters the kidneys with the bloodstream, where it is filtered out.

After that, more than half of this substance is excreted in the urine, and the remaining part is absorbed into the tubules of the kidneys.

Since the cycle of formation and utilization of urea is closed, in general, doctors say that more than 90% of this chemical compound is excreted in the urine, and only about 10% is utilized by the body through the skin.

The level of urea is determined by a biochemical analysis of blood taken from the patient's vein, and the most accurate results will be if the analysis is taken at least 8 hours after the last meal.

What does a low level of urea in the blood indicate, what reasons can contribute to this phenomenon, and what to do in a situation where urea in the blood is low?

First of all, you need to know that the content of this substance in the blood is individual, and it will differ in different groups of people.

One or another indicator of the level of urea in the human body can tell doctors about such processes as:

• the productivity of the functioning of the liver and kidneys, how these organs cope with their load, whether they remove all the products of protein breakdown;
• whether there are any pathological changes in muscle tissue, because it is they who consume the most proteins.

Doctors measure urea in the blood in millimoles per liter, and depending on the age and sex of people, the variability of its amount is as follows:

• in children of both sexes up to fourteen years - from 1.7 to 6.4. A newborn child due to physiological azotemia may have almost no urea in the blood at all;
• in the blood of women under sixty, urea is usually less than that of men of the same age. Its level in women is from 2.3 to 6.3 in the norm, while a blood test for men gives indicators from 3.3 to 7.3;
• in elderly people of both sexes, the concentration of urea in the blood can range from 2.7 to 7.7, this is due to a slowdown in metabolic processes in old age.

Obviously, the levels of urea in the human body vary quite a lot, and if a high level of its content most often speaks of kidney disease, then a low one indicates liver failure.

Causes of low urea

Low urea in the blood is recorded quite rarely.

The physiological reasons for this phenomenon may be as follows:

• during pregnancy, when a woman's body intensively synthesizes protein to provide them with a fetus, the concentration of urea may decrease. In the early stages, increased fluid intake can contribute to this, in the later stages - a high level of processing of protein compounds;
• intravenous administration of fluid into the human body, which contributes to hyperhydration;
• in the case of hemodialysis, when a person's blood is cleansed without the participation of the kidneys;
• a diet poor in protein foods, an excessive passion for vegetarianism can lower the concentration of urea in the blood.

These causes, which contribute to a decrease in carbamide in the blood, do not need special therapeutic treatment.

Time and proper nutrition will contribute to the normalization of tests, especially during pregnancy.

However, there are very serious diseases that cause the liver to produce insufficient urea.

It can be:

• hepatosis, including fatty steatosis;
• acquired or congenital enzyme deficiency;
• chronic diseases of the pancreas;
• poisoning the body with toxic substances such as phosphorus or arsenic;
• worm infection;
• malabsorption is a process in which amino acids are poorly absorbed in the intestine;
• edema, indicating renal failure;
• cirrhosis and necrosis of liver tissue;
• liver cancer;
• hepatitis, both viral and alcoholic;
• hepatic coma;
• violations of the hormonal activity of the thyroid gland.

Given the severity of diseases, the signal of which may be a low level of carbamide, it is necessary to periodically listen to your body.

Unfortunately, diseases that contribute to a decrease in the amount of urea in the blood do not always manifest themselves clearly.

However, you should immediately seek medical help if you constantly experience the following symptoms:

• pain in the right hypochondrium or visual enlargement of the liver;
• unpleasant belching with a metallic taste;
• constant and steady weight loss without any diets;
• not passing even after a long rest feeling of fatigue, irritability;
• flatulence;
• poor appetite, nausea after eating.

Taking medications for insulin-dependent diabetes can cause a decrease in urea in the blood.

What to do with bad tests?

However, not always a low concentration of urea in the blood indicates pathologies.

In adolescents, for example, low urea indicates that a rapid period of growth and formation of muscles that “eat” protein has come, it does not have time to break down into nitrogenous compounds.

The same can be said about those men and women who train hard in the gym, building muscle mass, and at the same time do not provide themselves with a complete protein diet.

Urea simply has nowhere to come from in such a situation, the body consumes all incoming protein in an accelerated mode.

If in infants, simultaneously with a decrease in carbamide in the blood, an increase in bilirubin is also recorded, then some implicit pathologies in the liver may be the cause of this.

In this case, doctors insist on the immediate hospitalization of the child and its full examination in order to determine what causes such liver dysfunction and prescribe the correct treatment.

Thus, you need to understand that a decrease in urea is not a disease, but a signal that indicates a violation of certain metabolic processes in the body.

The causes of this violation can be both exclusively physiological, for example, during pregnancy, and relate to liver diseases of varying severity.

Therefore, the doctor will prescribe treatment based on the patient's history, his general condition and the symptoms that he experiences along with low carbamide in the blood.

During pregnancy, you need to follow a complete diet, eat enough protein foods, do not sit on various harmful diets, cancel, at least for the period of bearing your child, vegetarianism.

In the case when a low level of urea is accompanied by liver diseases, the sequence of medical actions will be as follows:

• the appointment of the necessary therapy for a particular liver disease;
• bringing to normal activity of the enzymatic system of the gastrointestinal tract;
• restoration of normal protein metabolism in the human liver;
• carrying out detoxification measures to rid the body of toxic products of protein decay.

After these measures, which must be taken in a timely manner, in order to return a person to normal life, he will need to re-pass all tests, including the urea content in the blood.

It is impossible to make a diagnosis yourself, based on certain guesses about your alleged illness, without being a doctor, in any case.

Diagnosis of the disease, as well as methods of treatment, should be prescribed only by a qualified hepatologist or gastroenterologist.

When urea in the blood is lowered, it can warn of disorders in the excretory system of the kidneys. It is important to understand what are the reasons for such a deviation from the norm, what it depends on and whether any treatment is required.

The human body is an integral structure. If there is a violation of the activity of any one system, others suffer. Urea is the end product of protein catabolism.

Why is this indicator measured?

The human body is constantly changing. The excretion of protein metabolism products is an integral part of this process. However, the amount of excretion of urea (or urea) may vary. If the level of urea in the blood is normal, this confirms the balance of protein metabolism.

A blood test for the level of urea will determine:

How efficient are the kidneys?

Is the liver coping;

Is muscle tissue functioning normally?

If the urea is lowered, it is most often not asymptomatic. There are signs that allow you to see the problem at an early stage and seek qualified help. Although this phenomenon is rare, it requires medical attention.

How to take the analysis?

In order for the blood test to be accurate and reliable, it is important to follow some rules for its delivery. For biochemical research, blood is taken from a vein

You need to donate blood in the morning, before meals. It is strictly not recommended to drink coffee or tea before a visit to the laboratory, it is only allowed to drink water.

After receiving the results of a laboratory study, you should not try to decipher them yourself. The most correct decision is to contact a qualified specialist and accept his recommendations.

Symptoms of a decrease in urea

The decrease in urea in most cases is accompanied by severe symptoms. Before treating the symptoms, you need to consult a specialist and undergo the necessary examinations.

Low urea levels are accompanied by the following symptoms:

Flatulence;

Decreased appetite;

weight reduction;

Bitter eructation;

Heaviness in the liver;

General weakness and fatigue;

Puffiness.

If there are any of the above phenomena, this is an occasion to consult a specialist. The attending physician will carefully listen to all symptoms and determine what types of laboratory tests need to be done. It is likely that the results of the analysis will show a decrease in urea in the blood.

Harmless causes of low urea levels

If the urea value is below normal, treatment is not necessarily required. This is just an indicator that allows you to determine the state of the body. If any diseases are detected during the examination, then medication measures may be required.

Often, a decrease in urea in the blood is associated with normal physiological conditions that do not require correction. For example, it could be:

Pregnancy;

Childhood;

Features of nutrition (low-protein diet)

During pregnancy, the level of urea tends to be reduced. This is due to the fact that the mother's body works for two, and energy is spent differently. With an increased volume of blood, renal filtration increases and a pregnant woman has a reduced urea.

In serum, this figure may be reduced in very young children. In the process of growth, an accelerated protein metabolism occurs, which affects the results of the study.

Low urea can also be due to a lack of high-protein foods in a person's diet. The indicator may be less than normal with vegetarian and low-calorie diets.

If urea in the blood is reduced for one of the reasons described above, there is no cause for concern. This phenomenon is quite normal and over time, the indicators will recover on their own. However, there are other factors that can provoke a deviation from the norm.

Pathological causes of low values

Some problems in the functioning of the body can reduce the level of urea. Depending on how much this indicator is less than the norm, you can find out the reasons.

A slight and moderate decrease in indicators is possible with such conditions and diseases:

nephrotic syndrome;

Impaired absorption capacity in the intestine;

Chronic pancreatitis;

Complications after surgical interventions;

Congenital deficiency of enzymes.

All of these conditions require medical supervision. It is important to undergo a complete examination to determine the extent to which the body can be helped to fight the disease.

There are also more severe conditions. With such diagnoses, the deviation from the norm in the urea index can be very significant:

• tumors;
• necrosis of hepatic tissues;
• hepatic coma;
• hepatitis of viral etiology;
• severe intoxication;
• cirrhosis;
• hormonal abnormalities.

Although urea itself does not perform any vital functions in the body, its indicator allows you to diagnose problems and determine the state of human health.

Ways to restore indicators

Before you begin to bring blood counts back to normal, it is worth determining the true cause of the deviation. Depending on the data obtained, it is important to start treatment.

If the decrease was due to some disease, it is important to be examined and strictly adhere to the recommendations of the attending physician. Many diseases are successfully treated in the early stages.

When the cause lies in an improper or unbalanced diet, the diet should be adjusted. For example, you need to include more high-protein foods on your menu. It can be eggs, fish, meat and milk.

During pregnancy, it is very important to monitor the lifestyle and ensure that the food contains valuable substances for both the mother and the unborn child. For any signs of weakness or ailments, it is best to consult a doctor.

When urea appears in the blood, this may be a consequence of malnutrition, physical stress, taking medications, water-electrolyte metabolism disorders, etc. A slight increase or decrease in the level is accepted as the norm, and serious deviations signal health problems, the root cause of which is determined by a specialist.

What is urea?

The end product of the breakdown of protein molecules, ammonia, is a very strong toxin that poisons the body. To neutralize the toxin formed during the decay, the liver synthesizes into urea (urea). Following this, it enters the bloodstream, and the kidneys with urine remove it from the human body. Carbamide is relatively harmless, has a simple structure, and becomes toxic only at high concentrations. Its chemical composition contains carbonic acid and two molecules of ammonia. Saturation of blood urea is an indicator of the efficiency of the kidneys to get rid of products unnecessary to the body in a timely manner. Urea is also needed to control the performance of the liver, muscle tissue, which is responsible for protein production.

The time of formation of carbamide and the speed of its excretion are interrelated, therefore, in practice, it should not be contained in the human body much.

Urea values ​​​​and necessary tests

Blood tests should be carried out as part of regular preventive examinations, especially after 50 years of age. If studies have shown serious deviations in urea (low or high saturation), then this means that the functions of the liver or kidneys are impaired. An analysis of urea in the blood is taken to confirm the diagnosis and adjust the treatment. The analysis is done if patients have the following symptoms:

• frequent urination;
• colorless, dark, bloody urine, foam in the urine;
• bone pain
• backache;
• convulsions;
• heaviness in the legs;
• great fatigue;
• sleep problems;
• poor appetite;
• swelling;

The laboratory will perform biochemical tests, which include an analysis of residual nitrogen (all non-protein nitrogen in the blood), uric acid, urea, creatinine. Along with a biochemical blood test, the doctor may require a general urine test. Deciphering the data obtained, along with general symptoms, makes it possible to understand the cause of the disease. Usually, a blood test for urea should be taken on an empty stomach. You can’t take food that contains protein the day before, the use of wine and medicinal substances is excluded.

What is the norm?

The study showed that the normal content of urea in the blood for an adult is 660 milligrams per liter (about 4 mmol / l). The concentration of urea in the blood in men is slightly higher than in women. In addition, the normative indicators of urea depend on age. In the elderly, they will be more because the functionality of the kidneys has already been reduced. Since urea in the blood is constantly formed, its standard value should not go beyond a certain range. The following table shows the average indicators by age:

Increase in performance in men

Urea slightly increases when taking steroid substances or during prolonged physical exertion. This is typical for athletes with large muscle mass. Particular attention is paid to the parameter in case of suspected diseases of the prostate gland. The content of blood tests, along with some other indicators, can indicate early-stage prostate cancer. Early diagnosis allows you to start treatment without delay and avoid sexual dysfunction.

Indicators during pregnancy in women

The expectant mother must certainly undergo a biochemical blood test. It monitors the health of a woman and allows you to have an idea about the development of the baby. Pregnancy puts a lot of stress on the kidneys and liver, so biochemistry is needed to find out all the blood values ​​and notice any deviations in time. During pregnancy, there will be less carbamide in the blood, and this happens due to an increase in the rate of protein formation and renal filtration, but with the condition that all other data are normal.

If urea is increased in the blood of women during pregnancy, then this is considered a dangerous factor. Indicators above the norm indicate a failure in the work of the kidneys, which means that there is a danger for the further bearing of the fetus.

Indicators in children

In children, urea is lower compared to adults, due to accelerated anabolism in a young body, but in infants it can be elevated to adult levels in the first couple of days of life. The child's body reacts to malnutrition, dehydration and additional physical activity, so it is important to provide the child with less active activities the day before.

Causes of increased urea in the blood

An increase in carbamide in the blood can be triggered by serious illnesses that accelerate protein decomposition and cause pathological changes in the body, such as a bladder tumor, prostate adenomas, stones, acute renal failure, endocrine system disease. If the work of the kidneys is normal, then an increase can signal heart failure, bleeding, leukemia, and intestinal obstruction. Elevated carbamide will be with burns or with severe infections, etc. Concomitant with a painful condition, a high level of urea in human blood is called uremic syndrome (uricemia).

Urea is one of the products formed after the breakdown of proteins in the body. It is constantly formed in the liver and excreted by the kidneys. Urea in the blood is an important indicator of the functioning of the kidneys, namely their ability to remove metabolic products from the body with urine.

Its level is determined during a biochemical blood test. Any deviation of this indicator from the norm indicates pathology.

Urea should not be confused with uric acid, the formation of which occurs during the breakdown of nucleic acids.

How is formed

The breakdown of protein, which is constantly synthesized in the body, is a complex process with the release of various substances. Some of the proteins break down, some are converted into another form. When broken down, a metabolic by-product, ammonia, is released. This is a very toxic substance. It poses a special danger to the brain.

Therefore, ammonia must be neutralized and excreted from the body as soon as possible. It is neutralized by the liver and converted to urea for subsequent excretion. Urea has a very high penetrating power and easily enters the bloodstream. When the blood is filtered in the kidneys, urea in large quantities enters the primary urine, but up to 70% is absorbed back into the renal tubules. In total, approximately 90% of urea is excreted through the kidneys, and only 10% through the skin and gastrointestinal tract.

Norm

This indicator is measured in mmol per liter of blood. The norm depends on age and has the following values:

• from 1.8 to 6.4 mmol / liter - for children under 14 years old;
• from 2.5 to 6.4 mmol / liter - for adults up to 60 years old;
• from 2.9 to 7.5 mmol / liter - for people over 60 years old.

In women, the level of urea is usually slightly lower than in men. In people over 60 years of age, its content is slightly increased due to a decrease in the ability of the kidneys to concentrate urine.

If its level in the blood is within the normal range, this indicates that the rate of conversion of ammonia into urea by the liver corresponds to the rate of excretion of metabolic products by the kidneys.

In different laboratories, the norms may differ, depending on the reagents used.

Reasons for the downgrade

A decrease in this indicator is observed infrequently. Since urea is formed in the liver, its reduced level is most often associated with a decrease in the functions of this organ. In addition, the decrease may be due to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular malabsorption of substances that form proteins.

The causes of low levels can be both physiological and pathological. The first ones include:

• pregnancy, during which the water content in the blood increases due to physiological reasons (protein is intensively consumed due to the growth of the fetus); in addition, during the gestation period, a drop in the level may be associated with increased fluid intake; in the later stages - with increased protein utilization;
• hyperhydration (excess water) with parenteral (bypassing the gastrointestinal tract) fluid administration;
• hemodialysis (purification of the blood without the participation of the kidneys);
• diet, poor in protein foods, diets, vegetarianism.

One of the causes of low urea is cirrhosis of the liver.

Of the pathological causes, the following diseases can be named:

• chronic pancreatitis;
• malabsorption in the intestine;
• insufficiency of enzymes (congenital) that are involved in the formation of urea;
• nephrotic syndrome;
• helminthic invasions;
• complications after bowel surgery.

Very low urea is observed in severe and life-threatening diseases, namely:

• malignant tumors;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• acute liver necrosis;
• liver failure caused by poisoning with various hepatotropic toxins, including arsenic, phosphorus;
• hepatic coma;
• viral hepatitis;
• alcoholic hepatitis.

Symptoms

With a reduced level of urea, symptoms are not always present or may be unexpressed. The following signs can indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, which caused a drop in this indicator:

• loss of appetite;
• persistent bloating;
• bitter eructation;
• discomfort in the right hypochondrium;
• weight loss;
• muscle weakness;
• swelling;
• feeling of constant fatigue.

With such symptoms, it makes sense to consult a doctor for an examination, including a biochemical blood test.

Conclusion

Thus, urea is a secondary metabolic product that does not perform any metabolic functions. From the liver with blood, it is transferred to the kidneys, from where it is excreted in the urine. Its level in the blood makes it possible to assess the work of the liver, kidneys, muscles. An increase in its concentration indicates kidney pathologies, while a decrease indicates liver diseases.