Preventative Measures To Reduce Your Risk Of Developing Kidney Disease

And how to detect kidney disease in people at risk for the illness.

Lets Face It, Kidney Disease Has Bad Branding

One can argue that American’s know more about other illnesses and diseases than they do about kidney disease. When was the last time you saw a commercial about kidney disease? When was the last time you were asked to participate in a kidney walk or even heard of one in your local region? Yet kidney disease kills more people than breast and prostate cancer combined. Yes, combined.

The Impact

According to the National Kidney Foundation, Kidney disease affects an estimated 37 million people in the U.S. That’s 1 in 7 adults.

Because kidney disease has no signs or symptoms, many people living with the illness don’t know that have it until the disease reaches an advanced stage.

Approximately 90% of adults don’t even know they have kidney disease. 2 in 5 adults have severe kidney disease don't know they have it. And unfortunately, African Americans are more at risk than any other race. More than 1 in 3 kidney failure patients in the U.S. are African American.

How to Prevent Kidney Disease

Kidney disease is a silent killer, but there are preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of developing kidney disease.

• Be active

• Eat a kidney-friendly diet

• Reduce your salt intake

• Don’t smoke

• Control blood pressure

• Manage blood sugar

• Do not overuse pain medicines

• Get your kidney function checked if you have one or more of the ‘high risk’ factors: diabetes, hypertension, obesity, a family history of CKD.

• Stay informed

How to Detect Kidney Disease

Once you have kidney disease, you will need to monitor its progression through regular blood and urine tests. Early detection of failing kidney function can be lifesaving because treatment can be administered to prevent or delay the loss of kidney function.

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Source: National Kidney Foundation, NCD Alliance

This page contains general medical information. Medical knowledge and practice can change rapidly. Therefore, this page should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.