On this page
What Is Glomerular Disease?
Glomerular disease occurs when the part of your kidneys that filters waste and fluids from your blood, called the glomeruli, are damaged. When your glomeruli don’t function properly, you may have blood or protein in your urine. If left untreated, glomerular disease can lead to chronic kidney disease or kidney failure.
Is glomerular disease curable?
Glomerular disease caused by a treatable condition, such as an infection, may be curable. However, other types of glomerular disease caused by autoimmune disorders, diabetes, or genetic conditions are not. Even if glomerular disease isn’t curable, it can usually be managed with ongoing treatment and follow-up care.
What are the types of glomerular disease?
Types of glomerular disease include:
- Autoimmune glomerular disease — Happens when your immune system creates antibodies that attack your kidneys. Causes of autoimmune glomerular disease include systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), IgA nephropathy, ANCA vasculitis, anti-glomerular basement membrane disease (Goodpasture syndrome), and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.
- Diabetic glomerular disease — Happens when high blood glucose levels increase the speed of blood flow through your glomeruli, causing protein and blood in the urine. This is the most common type of glomerular disease, and the most common cause of kidney failure that requires treatment with dialysis or kidney transplantation.
- Genetic glomerular disease — Known as hereditary nephritis or Alport syndrome, these disorders cause blood vessel damage or swelling in the glomeruli. Although these conditions are typically passed from parent to child and are present at birth, they can also affect people with no family history.
- Idiopathic glomerular disease — Happens when glomerular disease has no identifiable cause.
- Infection-related glomerular disease — Happens when an infection in another part of your body causes inflammation and scarring in your kidneys. Causes of infection-related glomerular disease include post-infectious glomerulonephritis, infectious glomerulonephritis, and viral infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
- Nephrotic syndrome — Happens when high amounts of protein enter the urine, causing blood protein levels to fall. Causes of nephrotic syndrome include membranous nephropathy, minimal change disease, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).
What is the most common type of glomerular disease?
The most common type of glomerular disease is diabetic glomerular disease.
What causes glomerular disease?
The most common cause of glomerular disease is diabetic kidney disease.
Less common causes include:
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Genetic disorders.
- Infections.
- Medications.
What are glomerular disease risk factors and complications?
Glomerular disease risk factors
Certain conditions can increase your risk of developing glomerular disease, including:
- A history of viral and bacterial infections, such as strep throat, abscesses, or heart and lung infections.
- A history of problems with your glomeruli or other kidney disorders.
- Amyloidosis, which causes amyloid proteins to build up in your body.
- Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus or Goodpasture syndrome.
- Blood or lymphatic system conditions.
- Certain cancers.
- Diseases that affect your blood vessels, such as vasculitis or polyarteritis.
Complications of glomerular disease
If left untreated or in severe cases, glomerular disease can lead to significant kidney issues, including:
How can I prevent glomerular disease?
You may be unable to prevent glomerular disease, but taking care of your kidneys may help reduce your risk. To reduce your risk of glomerular disease, you can:
- Control chronic conditions — See a doctor for regular care if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.
- Eat healthy — Eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. They're high in potassium, which promotes healthy blood pressure. Limiting salt from shakers and processed foods also helps reduce blood pressure.
- Exercise — Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week.
- Get preventive care — Routinely check your blood pressure and blood sugar (glucose).
- Keep track of medications — Inform your doctor if you routinely take over-the-counter drugs or herbal supplements and avoid or limit the use of NSAID medications (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen).
- Manage stress — Take steps to manage stress and get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
- Reduce alcohol intake — Limit alcohol to one drink a day for women and two drinks per day for men.
- Stop smoking — Quit smoking if you smoke cigarettes or marijuana.
- Treat infections quickly — Get medical care if you think you have an infection — especially strep throat or a sexually transmitted infection.
How common is glomerular disease?
Diabetic kidney disease — the most common cause of glomerular disease — affects more than 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with diabetes. However, other conditions that cause glomerular disease are rare.
Back to top.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Glomerular Disease?
Glomerular disease may not cause symptoms right away. As the condition gets worse, you may notice signs of reduced kidney function, including:
- Anemia, or a lower-than-normal amount of red blood cells in your body.
- Blood in your urine — which may turn your urine pink, red, or brown.
- Fatigue, body aches, and loss of appetite.
- High blood pressure.
- Protein in your urine — which can make it look foamy or bubbly.
- Swelling in your body, such as your face, legs, ankles, feet, or stomach.
When should I see a doctor about my glomerular disease symptoms?
If left untreated, glomerular disease can lead to serious health problems. The sooner your glomerular disease is diagnosed and treated, the higher your chances of slowing the progression of kidney damage and avoiding dialysis or a kidney transplant.
If you are experiencing symptoms of glomerular disease, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor right away.
Back to top.
How Do You Diagnose Glomerular Disease?
Some cases of glomerular disease do not cause noticeable symptoms and are diagnosed during routine physical exams or by testing for other conditions. If you have symptoms, your doctor will perform a physical exam, talk to you about your health history, and order blood and urine tests to diagnose glomerular disease.
What to expect during your visit
During your visit, your doctor will:
- Ask about any medications you’re taking.
- Order imaging, blood, or urine tests.
- Perform a physical exam.
- Review your health history.
Tests to diagnose glomerular disease
Your doctor may order blood, urine, or other tests to check for signs of glomerular disease.
Blood tests include:
Urine tests include:
- Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) — Looks for high levels of a protein called albumin in your urine.
- Urine output — Tracks how much urine your body produces each day.
- Urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (uPCR) — Looks for high levels of all types of protein in your urine, not just albumin.
Other tests include:
- CT scan — A test that creates images of your body's organs, bones, and tissues.
- Kidney biopsy — A procedure that involves taking small pieces of kidney tissue for examination under a microscope to check for signs of disease. This test is used to confirm a glomerular disease diagnosis.
- Ultrasound — Uses sound waves to create images of your organs to check for problems.
Glomerular disease prognosis
Depending on the cause, glomerular disease may be temporary and treatable or worsen and lead to serious complications. Your doctor will discuss your prognosis with you.
Back to top.
How Do You Treat Glomerular Disease?
The goal of glomerular disease treatment is to keep your condition from getting worse and prevent permanent kidney damage. Your treatment will depend on the cause of your glomerular disease and the type and severity of your symptoms.
Treatment may include:
Dietary changes
Dietary changes alone may not be enough to treat glomerular disease, but reducing the amount of salt, fluid, and protein you eat may help your kidneys function better. Your doctor may refer you to a registered dietitian, who will recommend dietary changes to support kidney health.
Medicine to treat glomerular disease
Depending on the cause of your glomerular disease, your doctor may prescribe medication to:
- Manage blood pressure.
- Reduce inflammation.
- Suppress your immune system.
- Treat an infection that is causing your condition.
Plasmapheresis for glomerular disease
If a problem with your immune system is causing your glomerular disease, your doctor may recommend a treatment called plasmapheresis.
What happens during plasmapheresis?
Plasmapheresis involves using a machine to separate the liquid part of your blood, called plasma, from your blood cells.
If you have an autoimmune disorder, your plasma contains antibodies that mistakenly attack healthy parts of your body. Removing plasma from your blood also removes harmful antibodies. After your plasma is separated and removed, it will be replaced with intravenous fluids or healthy donated plasma.
Why choose UPMC for glomerular disease care?
When you choose UPMC for glomerular disease care, you will receive:
- Access to world-class nephrology expertise — Our world-renowned experts treat the full spectrum of kidney diseases using the latest diagnostic and treatment techniques. The UPMC Glomerular Disease Clinic is the only specialty clinic for glomerular disease in Western Pennsylvania, offering leading-edge research, diagnosis, and treatment.
- A full range of treatment options — We'll work with you to develop a treatment plan that slows the progression of your disease as much as possible and improves your quality of life.
- Multidisciplinary care — If you need advanced kidney treatment, we partner with special dialysis clinics, experts in supportive care, and kidney transplant surgeons.
Back to top.
By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2025-04-24.
