Which lab value is commonly assessed to evaluate kidney function?

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels are critical markers commonly assessed to evaluate kidney function. The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products from the blood, and measuring BUN and creatinine helps determine how effectively they are performing this function.

BUN is a measure of the amount of nitrogen in the blood that comes from the waste product urea, which the liver produces from the breakdown of protein. Creatinine is a waste product generated from muscle metabolism. Both of these substances are typically cleared from the blood by the kidneys, so elevated levels can indicate impaired kidney function.

Monitoring these levels provides valuable information about the health of the kidneys and can help in the diagnosis and management of various renal conditions. In contrast, the other listed values focus on different aspects of health: white blood cell count is associated with immune response, hemoglobin levels relate to oxygen-carrying capacity, and liver enzyme levels assess liver function. Thus, while they are important in their respective contexts, they do not specifically evaluate kidney function like BUN and creatinine do.