What do the Kidneys Do?
Most people have two kidneys, which sit at the back of the abdomen, near the bottom of the ribcage. They have several jobs:
They filter waste products out of the blood and produce urine to remove them from the body
They control fluid and salt levels in the blood, which can then help to control blood pressure
They release a hormone called erythropoietin, which tells the body to produce new blood cells
They help to produce vitamin D
What is Chronic Kidney Disease?
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a common condition, affecting around 10% of the British population. CKD occurs when the kidneys become less effective at filtering the blood. In the early stages, this doesn’t cause any symptoms. Only 1 in 50 people with CKD will go on the most severe stage of the disease (Stage 5)
How is Chronic Kidney Disease Diagnosed?
Blood Tests
Urine Tests
Most people with CKD will have it diagnosed during routine blood tests. If you have a diagnosis, you should then have a blood and urine test done at least annually. At Blacketts Medical Practice, we will offer this as part of your annual review
Why Does Chronic Kidney Disease Matter?
Your kidneys matter! In its mildest form, CKD might not cause any symptoms, but it can still increase your risk of having a stroke or heart attack. This risk increases as the disease worsens, so it’s important to manage CKD properly
If CKD gets worse then your kidneys can stop working. This is called kidney failure and is fatal without treatment. Patients with kidney failure either require dialysis or a kidney transplant
How to Treat Chronic Kidney Disease
Healthy Kidneys
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet
- Avoid excessive amounts of salt, fat and sugar
- Exercise regularly (150 minutes moderate exercise per week)
- You do need a low protein diet with CKD, unless you’ve been advised otherwise by a specialist
- Drink plenty of water (6-8 glasses per day)
- Avoid taking certain over-the-counter medications too often – particularly ibuprofen or aspirin
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid drinking excessive alcohol (more than 14 units per week)
- If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, keep these well controlled
Medications to Treat Chronic Kidney Disease
CKD can’t be cured, but certain medications can help to reduce the risks and slow down the progression.
Statins
Statins can help to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, which is higher in people with CKD. High cholesterol can also clog up the blood vessels to the kidneys, which can make CKD worse. Everyone with CKD should be offered a statin
ACE Inhibitors
ACE inhibitors (ramipril, lisinopril), or closely related medications called ARB’s (losartan, candesartan), have several roles. They can help reduce blood pressure, which protects the kidneys from damage, but they’ve also been found to help reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks and protect the kidneys even if you don’t have high blood pressure. Not everyone needs these medications
SGLT-2
SGLT-2 medications (dapagliflozin, empagliflozin) are traditionally diabetic medications, but have been found to help protect the kidneys even in people without diabetes. Not everyone with CKD will need an SGLT-2 medication
Acute Kidney Injury
An acute kidney injury (AKI) is when the kidneys stop working as well as they should, but this change happens rapidly. This is different to chronic kidney disease, where the change usually happens gradually over years. An AKI can be caused by severe dehydration, illness or a blockage to the urine flow. Usually, the kidneys can return to normal after an AKI provided the underlying cause if dealt with quickly. Sometimes, an AKI causes permanent damage to the kidneys, which would then be classed as CKD. People with CKD are at higher risk of an AKI if they become very unwell