Dr Pary Sivaraman

Some of the factors that affect the long term prognosis of patients with IgA nephropathy depends on the findings at presentation. If the kidney function is normal, blood pressure is normal and the protein leakage is minimal (less than 0. 5 g per day) they do have a good prognosis. Some of these patients can go into remission, that is, they have no protein leakage. The long term risk for kidney failure in patients with minimal protein leakage is about 40 to 50% at 30 years.

Most cases of IgA are not familial, that is, it doesn't run in families. However, family members do higher incidence of urine abnormalities. Since most kidney diseases start without any symptoms it is helpful to do a yearly check on the kidney function and the urine for blood and proteins. If the tests are normal, you don't need to see a kidney specialist.