March is National Kidney Month

March is National Kidney Month! Join us as we raise awareness and focus on building paths to better kidney care.

37 million people in the United States are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD). As many as 9 in 10 people are not aware that they have CKD. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure you are at higher risk for developing kidney disease.

Thanks to innovative research, the future will bring more paths for preventing and treating kidney disease. Going beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, treatments will be targeted to your disease type, environment, and lifestyle.

The path you build will be personalized, a plan you can stick to, and gives you the flexibility to make adjustments along the way. Remember, what works for someone else may not work for you, but every step you take can help keep your kidneys healthier longer.

Kidney Disease Facts

• 37 million American adults have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and millions of others are at increased risk.
• Early detection can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure.
• Heart disease is the primary cause of death for all people with CKD.

What Are the Main Causes?

Diabetes and high blood pressure, or hypertension, are responsible for two-thirds of chronic kidney disease cases. 

Diabetes: Diabetes occurs when your blood sugar remains too high. Over time, unmanaged blood sugar can cause damage to many organs in your body, including the kidneys and heart and blood vessels, nerves, and eyes. 

High blood pressure: High blood pressure occurs when your blood pressure against the walls of your blood vessels increases. If uncontrolled or poorly controlled, high blood pressure can be a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, and chronic kidney disease. Also, chronic kidney disease can cause high blood pressure.

What Are Other Conditions That Affect the Kidneys?

There are a few other conditions or circumstances that can cause kidney disease. 

Glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis is a group of diseases that cause inflammation and damage the kidney's filtering units. These disorders are the third most common type of kidney disease.

Inherited diseases

Polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, is a common inherited disease that causes large cysts to form in the kidneys and damage the surrounding tissue.

Kidney and urinary tract abnormalities before birth

Malformations that occur as a baby develops in its mother's womb. For example, a narrowing may occur that prevents normal outflow of urine and causes urine to flow back up to the kidney. This causes infections and may damage the kidneys.

Autoimmune Diseases

When the body's defense system, the immune system, turns against the body, it's called an autoimmune disease. Lupus nephritis is one such autoimmune disease that results in inflammation (swelling or scarring) of the small blood vessels that filter wastes in your kidney.

Other Causes

Obstructions caused by kidney stones or tumors can cause kidney damage. An enlarged prostate gland in men or repeated urinary infections can also cause kidney damage.

Get To Know Your Hardworking Kidneys

Six Ways Your Kidneys Keep You Healthy

• Regulate fluid levels
• Activate Vitamin D for healthy bones
• Filter wastes from the blood
• Directs production of red blood cells
• Regulate blood pressure
• Keep blood minerals in balance

Eight Problems Kidney Disease Can Cause

• Nerve damage
• Cardiovascular disease
• Weak bones
• Heart attack
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Kidney failure
• Anemia/low red blood cell count

Risk Factors for Kidney Disease

Anyone can get chronic kidney disease at any age. However, some people are more likely than others to develop kidney disease. You may have an increased risk for kidney disease if you:

• have diabetes
• have high blood pressure
• have a family history of kidney failure
• are older
• belong to a population group with a high rate of diabetes or high blood pressure, such as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians

Kidney Disease Symptoms

Most people may not have any severe symptoms until their kidney disease is advanced. However, you may notice that you:

• feel more tired and have less energy
• have trouble concentrating
• have a poor appetite
• have trouble sleeping
• have muscle cramping at night
• have swollen feet and ankles
• have puffiness around your eyes, especially in the morning
• have dry, itchy skin
• need to urinate more often, especially at night

Two Tests You Can Take

• Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio estimates the amount of a type pf protein, albumin, that you can excrete in your urine

• Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) tells how well your kidneys are working to remove wastes from your blood. It is the best way to check your kidney function. Doctors measure blood creatinine (waste build-up) levels and perform a calculation based on race, age, and gender).

Your doctor may perform a CT scan to get a picture of your kidneys and urinary tract to spot any kidney or urinary tract structure problems. Using this test, they can determine if your kidneys are too large or small or have issues like a kidney stone or tumor. 

They may also choose to biopsy the kidney to check for a specific type of kidney disease, see how much kidney damage has occurred, and help plan treatment. During this procedure, the doctor removes small pieces of kidney tissue and looks at them under a microscope.

Build Your Path to Better Kidney Care

Most people don’t know how important their kidneys are. Why? Most people don't know anything about their kidneys and how important they are to their health, even the 37 million people who have kidney disease. If caught early, kidney disease can be slowed or even stopped.

Here are some ways you can personalize your kidney care:

1. Be an active participant in your care by partnering with your health care team to create a treatment plan that fits your lifestyle, mobility, health status, and dietary needs.
2. Building a healthy meal plan with foods and beverages you enjoy.
3. Picking physical activities you can stick to – aim for at least 30 minutes of activity each day.
4. Maintaining a healthy weight – if you are overweight, losing even small amounts of weight can help to relieve strain on your heart and kidneys.
5. Developing a sleep routine that allows you to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.
6. Taking steps to quit smoking and limit alcohol.
7. Staying up to date on recommended vaccines, including COVID-19 and the flu.

How You Can Help

Go from "zero" to "kidney consciousness" in less than 3 minutes with the National Kidney Foundation’s Your Kidneys and You video! This can be embedded on corporate Intranets as part of an employee wellness program, shown at community health fairs, or shared with members of your organization.

Share this video and help raise awareness about:

• how kidneys function and how they keep you alive
• the importance of early detection
• the two simple, inexpensive tests people can get at their doctor's office
• how people can improve their lifestyles to prevent kidney disease

Sources:

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/community-health-outreach/national-kidney-month#:~:text=March%20is%20National%20Kidney%20Month,chronic%20kidney%20disease%20(CKD).

https://www.kidney.org/content/national-kidney-month