Diagnosing

People in the early stages of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) may not have any symptoms at all.

Those who have a family history of kidney disease, are diabetic, have cardiovascular disease or are overweight have an increased risk of developing CKD.

Certain communities, including African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans have an even higher increased risk of developing kidney disease, due to high rates of diabetes and high blood pressure within these ethnic groups.

If you have one of these risk factors, your doctor should perform regular kidney disease screenings.

Some tests your doctor may do include :

• urinalysis, which examines a sample of your urine to check for protein, blood and white blood cells in the urine

• blood test for creatinine and BUN, waste products that healthy kidneys remove from the bloodstream

• Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is considered by medical professionals to be the best measure of kidney function. Knowing your GFR lets them figure out their stage of kidney disease. Doctors will use this information to plan your treatment.

If you have been diagnosed with CKD, you can make lifestyle changes that will help you maintain kidney function longer.

Click here for information on our kidney screenings.