Patient Education: The Facts about Chronic Kidney disease
Published: August 10, 2009
The Facts About Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
- Recent data suggests that up to 26 million American adults have CKD and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
- Early detection by simple screening tests can help slow progression of chronic kidney disease and renal failure.
- Disease of the circulatory system such as Stroke and Heart attack are the most common killers in people with CKD. Therefore if you have CKD you must have a thorough consultation for heart disease as well for the best outcome.
- A simple blood test is sometimes inaccurate ask your doctor what percentage of kidney function you have. This will require a measure of what is called G. F.R. which can either be calculated at no additional cost or can be measured by a simple procedure an thus detect previously undetectable kidney disease.
- If you are hypertensive you should be aware that you are at increased risk of CKD even if your blood pressure is 140/90 and “controlled”.
- The reason that you are hypertensive maybe due to undiagnosed kidney disease.
- Although protein levels in the urine may fluctuate, persistent levels of protein in the urine should prompt an immediate evaluation for possible kidney disease, acute or chronic.
- Patient groups at the highest risk of CKD include those with diabetes, hypertension and family history of kidney disease.
About Roger:
Dr. Roger Smith is a nephrologist currently employed to the government of Jamaica. He is the Nephrologist in charge of Spanish Town Dialysis Unit. His interests are lupus nephritis and other glomerulopathies. He was previously a lecturer in Nephrology at the University of the West Indies in the Department of Internal Medicine and Coordinator of the Urogenital Module before moving into private and government practice.
|
↑ Grab this Headline Animator
Tagged with: prevention
Email This Post
