6-Step Guide to Protecting Kidney Health

About 1 in 7 adults in the Unites States have chronic kidney disease (CKD). About 90% of adults with CKD do not know they have it! 

Kidney disease is a major public health concern. There are usually no noticeable symptoms in early kidney disease. Therefore, kidney disease often goes undetected until it is very advanced. Unfortunately, this is when someone would need dialysis or a kidney transplant. 

The key is to find kidney disease before the trouble starts. Regular testing for everyone is important, but it is especially important for people at risk. 

Follow these 6 steps to learn more about kidney disease, your risk, and how to prevent it.

5 Things Healthy Kidneys Do:

• Remove waste products and extra water from your body
• Help maintain blood pressure
• Keep your bones healthy
• Help make red blood cells
• Balance important minerals in your body

7 Problems Kidney Disease Can Cause: 

• Kidney failure (end-stage kidney disease, or ESKD)
• Heart disease or stroke
• High blood pressure
• Mineral and bone disorder
• Hyperkalemia or high levels of potassium in the blood
• Nerve damage (neuropathy)
• Anemia or low levels of red blood cells

Certain conditions can be either a cause or result of kidney disease. These include high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. 

6 Main Risk Factors:

• Diabetes (you or your family)
• High blood pressure (you or your family)
• Heart disease and/or heart failure (you or your family)
• Family history of CKD or kidney failure
• Personal history of acute kidney injury (AKI)
• Obesity

Other Risk Factors: 

• Age 60 or older
• Low birth weight
• Prolonged overuse of NSAIDs, a type of painkillers, such as ibuprofen and naproxen
• Lupus, other autoimmune disorders
• Chronic urinary tract infections
• Kidney stones

Knowing if you are at risk for kidney disease is the first step to a healthier life. We’ve made it easier than ever to know where you stand. It takes just a minute to take our Kidney Risk Quiz.

10 Possible Trouble Signs:

Most people with early kidney disease have no symptoms, which is why early detection is critical. By the time symptoms appear, kidney disease may be advanced, and symptoms can be misleading. Pay attention to these:

• Fatigue, weakness (feeling tired)
• Difficult, painful urination
• Foamy urine
• Pink, dark urine (blood in urine)
• Increased thirst
• Increased need to urinate (especially at night)
• Puffy eyes
• Swollen face, hands, abdomen, ankles, feet
• Nausea
• Trouble concentrating

If you or a loved one belong to a high-risk group, ask your primary-care health professional about these tests. Your healthcare team may want to perform other tests as well.

1. Blood Pressure (BP test)
   1. High blood pressure can damage the heart and kidneys. It can also damage glomeruli, which are tiny filtering units made up of clusters of small blood vessels in the kidney. It is the second-leading cause of kidney failure after diabetes.
   2. Good Score: Below 140/90 is good for most people. Below 130/80 is better if you have chronic kidney disease or received a kidney transplant. Below 120/80 is considered best. A blood pressure goal depends on your individual situation, so check with your healthcare team to see what’s right for you.
2. Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) (urine test)
   1. Traces of a type of protein, albumin, in the urine (albuminuria) may be an early sign of kidney disease. Regular amounts of albumin and/or other proteins in the urine (proteinuria) indicate kidney damage.
   2. Good Score: Less than 30 mg of albumin per gram of urinary creatinine (a normal waste product)
3. Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) (blood test)
   1. This measures how well the kidneys are filtering the blood. Healthcare professionals measure blood creatinine levels and perform a calculation to find out your estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
   2. Good Score: Over 90 is good. 60-89 should be monitored. Less than 60 for 3 months indicates kidney disease. Please note that an eGFR over 60 in addition to a UACR of 30 or more, or others signs of kidney damage, for 3 months or is needed for a diagnosis of CKD. Some, but not all, examples of kidney damage can include frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs), blood in the urine (hematuria), or abnormal findings during medical imaging (ultrasound, MRI, or CT scan) or urinalysis

6 Things People with Kidney Disease Should Do:

• Lower high blood pressure
• Manage blood sugar levels
• Reduce salt intake
• Avoid NSAIDs, a type of painkiller
• Moderate protein consumption
• Get an annual COVID and flu shot

10 Things Everyone Should Do: 

• Exercise regularly
• Control weight
• Follow a balanced diet
• Quit smoking
• Drink only in moderation
• Stay hydrated
• Monitor cholesterol levels
• Get an annual physical
• Stay updated with all vaccinations
• Know your family medical history

Contact the NKF Cares patient help line. 

Visit kidney.org.

Take our one-minute quiz at MinuteForYourKidneys.org.