Early identification and management of kidney issues are vital in order to protect health and reduce risks of complications. Regular visits with a nephrologist, adopting healthy lifestyle choices such as diet and lifestyle choices that promote kidney health and managing blood pressure, sugar and medication levels effectively are vital elements in the prevention of kidney disease.
Kidney function tests such as serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are often used to monitor kidney health and track chronic kidney disease progression. Preventative measures, including cutting sodium intake, restricting medications or smoking cessation habits, staying hydrated, etc. also reduce risks.
Prevention
As kidney disease usually presents no obvious symptoms during its early stages, many individuals do not become aware they have it until it progresses to end-stage renal disease (ESKD). Routine screenings can detect kidney issues at their earliest possible stage and slow the progress of illness.
Screenings usually consist of blood and urine tests to check for changes in kidney function, such as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum creatinine levels and proteinuria testing – the latter which identifies protein leakage into urine.
Diet and lifestyle factors also can play an integral part in maintaining healthy kidneys. A diet low in salt, refined sugars and saturated fats and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and sufficient water can go far in protecting kidney health. Exercise, smoking cessation and other risk factors such as diabetes or high blood pressure should all be avoided to lower kidney disease risk significantly – regular check-ups provide your best defense against potential health complications.
Early Detection
Kidneys are essential organs, responsible for filtering waste from the blood and maintaining appropriate fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. In addition, kidneys produce hormones to manage red blood cell production as well as lower cholesterol.
Kidney disease often progresses without symptoms, making it hard to detect until kidneys have been severely compromised. People at highest risk for kidney disease include those living with diabetes and high blood pressure.
Regular screenings and healthy diet can help people at risk avoid or lessen the severity of kidney disease. People should check in regularly with healthcare providers to be tested for various tests, such as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum creatinine, and microalbuminuria which measures leakage of protein into urine caused by kidney damage. A low eGFR may indicate early stage chronic kidney disease; normal values range between 60 and 90. A higher eGFR indicates increased work by kidneys in filtering blood.
Monitoring
Kidney disease often progresses gradually without producing noticeable symptoms until they’ve already been severely damaged, so regular testing to assess your kidney function and identify any early warning signs is highly recommended. Your physician may even suggest more frequent checks if risk factors such as diabetes or high blood pressure exist – especially for people who already have risk factors like diabetes or high blood pressure.
Monitoring kidney health typically includes both urine and blood tests. An eGFR blood test measures how well the kidneys are performing by analyzing results of a simple blood sample taken from each individual, taking into account their age, sex and body type.
Dipstick tests, one of the more widely-used urine tests, measure proteinuria – one of the early indicators of kidney disease. Urinalysis tests may also reveal other complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD), such as metabolic acidosis or urinary tract infections; finally, measuring your TU/E Creatinine Ratio provides another indicator of renal health using blood and urine samples.
Treatment
An important step for those suffering chronic kidney disease should be seeing both their primary care doctor and nephrologist on an annual basis for routine medical screenings to detect potential comorbidities that commonly accompany chronic kidney disease such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Kidneys are two reddish bean-shaped organs found on either side of the spine in the lower back. Each day, these kidneys filter 40 gallons of blood through them for waste and toxins before routing any harmful substances or excess water or nutrients directly to their respective bladders – where they will then be flushed from your system as urine.
Kidney damage can be detected early through a urine test that measures protein (albumin) and creatinine levels in urine samples. High creatinine levels signal that kidneys aren’t functioning optimally; to minimize progression of kidney disease, patients can limit sodium consumption while eating a balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins while drinking plenty of water – something kidney health advocates strongly advise doing.