Too few people realize that chronic kidney disease is a common, life-threatening illness that often goes undetected until it's very advanced.
And that's exactly why March has been designated as National Kidney Month, said Dr. Pawan Gupta, kidney specialist at Altoona Regional Health System, Bon Secours campus.?He said 5 percent of the adult population has some form of kidney damage, and most are completely unaware of their condition.
"Screening for kidney disease is very important, and the public must realize this," Gupta, who has his own practice in Bon Secours' Medical Pavilion in Altoona, said. "Early on, it's a silent disease because there are no symptoms, but the damage it causes keeps going on until it's too late. The bottom line is that if CKD is caught early, it is a treatable disease."
The kidneys, organs about the size of a fist located beneath the rib cage, perform vital functions that help maintain overall physical health, Gupta said. They produce urine, control blood pressure, produce red blood cells, maintain bone health and filter wastes and excess fluids from the blood. In people with CKD, the kidneys are not able to perform those functions properly.
The two leading causes of CKD are high blood pressure and diabetes, Gupta said, adding both conditions cause damage to blood vessels.
The damage to the kidneys and the associated change in their ability to function generally occurs in stages ranging from mild to severe.
"Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure," Gupta said. "In fact our slogan is: Diabetic kidney disease - act now or pay later."
About 30 percent of people with Type 1 (juvenile onset) diabetes and 10 to 40 percent of people with Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes eventually will suffer from kidney failure, according to the National Institutes of Health, based in Bethesda, Md. More than half the people with CKD have high blood pressure, which causes 25,000 new cases of kidney failure every year in the United States.
The most severe form of kidney disease is kidney failure, which requires people to have dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.
A family history of kidney disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, smoking, being age 50 or older or in an ethnic minority group also increases a person's risk for developing CKD.
Other factors that increase a person's risk include prolonged use of analgesics, or pain-relieving medicines, especially aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), and non-steroidal drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, ketoprofen and naproxen (Aleve), obesity, chronic urinary tract infections, Lupus, other autoimmune disorders, kidney stones and low birth weight. Certain other medications, toxins, pesticides and "street" drugs such as heroin and crack also can cause kidney damage.
Some signs that suggest there could be a problem with your kidneys are high blood pressure, blood and/or protein in the urine, a creatinine and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) blood test outside the normal range (BUN and creatinine are waste that build up in your blood when your kidney function is reduced), a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 60 (GFR is a measure of kidney function), more frequent urination, particularly at night, difficult or painful urination, puffiness around the eyes, swelling of the hands, feet, face, abdomen or ankles, increased thirst, fatigue, weakness and foamy urine, or pink or dark urine, Gupta said. People with any of these symptoms should consult their physician immediately.
If kidney disease is caught early, it can often be managed, and kidney damage can be slowed or stopped, he said. Simple blood and urine tests can be performed to check kidney health.
It is especially important that people who have an increased risk for CKD work with their physician to monitor their health in general and have testing to specifically evaluate their kidney health.
There are steps people can take to lower their risk of developing kidney disease.
Careful control of diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure can help prevent kidney disease or keep it from getting worse.
Other helpful actions include getting regular exercise, quitting smoking, keeping cholesterol levels within the normal range, maintaining a healthy body weight, limiting alcohol intake, eating a balanced diet, staying well hydrated and knowing your family medical history.
"We must detect kidney disease early on," Gupta said. "Screening must be a priority. That's the message we want to get out."
Mirror Staff Writer Jimmy Mincin is at 946-7460.
