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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIgA nephropathy is a highly variable disease whose course is often difficult to predict. For instance, having IgA deposits in your kidneys doesn't necessarily mean that you will go on to develop nephropathy. Because it's hard to know what to expect from a diagnosis of IgA nephropathy, it can be extremely helpful to take a list of questions to your appointment.
For instance, you might want to know:
- What tests do I need to determine if I have IgA nephropathy?
- Is this condition temporary or chronic?
- What is the long-term prognosis?
- What are the chances that I will develop kidney failure? Is there any way to know?
- What is the best course of action? How long will I have to take medications?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
- Can this disease be managed with diet and lifestyle changes alone?
- Since IgA nephropathy develops over many years, wouldn't it be a good idea just to keep an eye on it?
- Do you have any literature on this condition? Is there a Web site you can recommend where I can learn more?
Other suggestions for getting the most from your appointment include:
- Write down all your symptoms. Include key personal information, such as major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, including vitamins, herbs and over-the-counter drugs, that you're taking. Even better, take the original bottles and a written list of the dosages and directions.
- If possible, take along a family member or friend. It can be difficult to absorb all the information provided to you during an appointment. The person who accompanies you may remember something that you forgot or missed.
- IgA nephropathy. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/iganephropathy. Accessed Aug. 31, 2008.
- Strippoli GF, et al. Evidence-based survey of therapeutic options for IgA nephropathy: Assessment and criticism. American Journal of Kidney Disease. 2003;41(6):1129-1139.
- Glomerulonephritis. MayoClinic.com. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glomerulonephritis/DS00503. Accessed Aug. 31, 2008.
- Donadio JV, et al. The long-term outcome of patients with IgA nephropathy treated with fish oil in a controlled trial. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 1999;10(8):1772-1777.
- Donadio JV, et al. IgA nephropathy. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2002;738-748.
- Coppo R, et al. IgACE: A placebo-controlled, randomized trial of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in children and young people with IgA nephropathy and moderate proteinuria. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2007;18(6):1880-1888.
- Barratt J, et al. Causes and diagnosis of IgA nephropathy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index/html. Accessed Aug. 31, 2008.
- Cattran DC, et al. Treatment and prognosis of IgA nephropathy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 31, 2008.
- Coppo R, et al. Factors predicting progression of IgA nephropathies. Journal of Nephrology. 2005;18(5):503-512.
- Gharavi AG, et al. IgA nephropathy, the most common cause of glomerulonephritis, is linked to 6q22-23. Nature Genetics. 2000;26:354-357.
