Chronic Kidney Disease

One in nine adult Americans has Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). That is more than twenty million adult Americans! Most don’t know they have this common, harmful --yet treatable -- disease. More than 20 million others are at an increased risk for developing CKD.

Diagnosing and treating CKD can keep it from progressing. Early detection can also prevent complications like kidney failure, heart disease and premature death. 

The two main causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure. Diabetes happens when your blood sugar is too high, causing damage to many organs. These include your kidneys and heart, blood vessels, eyes and nerves.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when the pressure of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels increases.  High blood pressure can cause CKD, heart attacks and strokes. CKD can also cause high blood pressure. 

Having CKD also increases your risk of having heart or blood vessel disease.

You may be at an increased risk for kidney disease if you:

• Have diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney disease.

• Are over 60 years old.

• Are African American, Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or Native American.

If you have any of these risk factors, or think you may be at a higher risk for CKD, speak to your doctor about having the following screening tests:

• Blood pressure measurement
• Urine test to check for protein in the urine
• Blood test to measure creatinine, a waste product from normal muscle activity

The results of the creatinine blood test will be used to estimate your glomerular filtration rate (GFR) which tells how much kidney function you have.

If you are at a higher risk, you can reduce your chances of developing kidney disease.

Here are some things you can do to maintain kidney health:

• Get regular checkups.

• Follow prescribed treatments to control diabetes and/or high blood pressure.

• Lose extra weight by following a healthy diet and regular exercise program.

• Stop smoking. For help quitting, click here.

• Avoid taking large amounts of over-the-counter pain medication such as Ibuprofen or Advil. Do not take more prescribed medication than your doctor suggests.

• Improve your diet by eating less salt, less protein, and less fat.

• Limit the amount of beer, wine and liquor you drink.

Getting screened for kidney disease is a great choice for your health! 

For information on the Northwest Kidney Centers' free community kidney information and screening events, call us at (206) 292-2771 or send us an email.