What does BUN mean?

‘BUN’ stands for Blood Urea Nitrogen. Nitrogen is an essential element of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.

When we eat protein-rich food, it is broken down by our digestive system into amino acids. These amino acids has 1 of 2 fates: It is either used to make protein for muscle formation or degraded in the liver to form urea.

Urea is a compound that contains nitrogen; once produced, it is excreted into the urine. Kidney failure causes Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) to increase.

Causes of High BUN

High protein diet
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Trauma
Steroids

Causes of Low BUN

Low protein diet
Liver disease
Pregnancy