Experimental Treatments For Ckd
Research is ongoing to find new treatments and interventions that will someday soon render dialysis and kidney donation unnecessary. The Harvard Stem Cell Institute is just one of many institutions exploring a wide variety of options, such as experimental treatments.
Harvards current kidney disease research path has three tiers:
- Short-term: This research is intended to repair damaged kidneys by using regenerative medicineor cell replacement therapyusing mesenchymal stem cells . These cells are our bodys natural defense against kidney damage.
- Medium-term: This involves identifying the types of kidney cells most susceptible to damage in order to target the specific cell types with appropriate medications.
- Long-term: The long-term goal is to use stem cells and nanotechnology to create an artificial kidney that can be used in transplant surgerieseliminating the need to rely solely on human kidneys. Thus far, scientists have created a rat kidney that is being tested on lab animals.
Clinical trials are also being run by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to test the effectiveness and safety of pirfenidone in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.
High Blood Pressure And Kidney Disease
High blood pressure is increased pressure inside the arteries that carry blood from your heart to all parts of your body. Untreated, high blood pressure can damage your kidneys.
Also, high blood pressure can develop as a result of kidney disease or renal artery stenosis . Your kidneys control the amount of fluid in your blood vessels and produce a hormone called renin that helps to control blood pressure.
Food Choices Can Affect Kidney Health
- Avoid processed foods and choose fresh fruits and vegetables instead.
- Follow a low-salt diet. Salt should be limited especially if you have high blood pressure, protein in your urine, or swelling, or difficulty breathing. Eating less than 2000 mg a day of sodium is recommended.
- Limit protein if you have moderate-to-advanced kidney disease . A high-protein diet, which is popular for losing weight, maybe safe for people with normal kidneys but can put a strain on poorly functioning kidneys to rid the bodys protein waste. However, a diet too low in protein can cause loss of muscle and make you frail.
Many healthcare professionals recommend the Dash Diet, however, it is important to discuss your individual nutrition needs with your healthcare professional or dietitian before starting a diet.
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Diagnosis Of Kidney Disease
Early diagnosis and optimal management can often prevent kidney damage from becoming worse and reduce the risk of kidney failure.
Chronic kidney disease often has very few symptoms, or only general symptoms, such as tiredness, headaches and feeling sick. The doctor may begin by reviewing your medical history and performing a physical examination.
The diagnostic tests for kidney disease chosen by your doctor depend on factors including your symptoms, age, medical history, lifestyle and general health. Tests for kidney disease include:
- urine tests
- biopsy.
The Impact Of Exercise Therapy On Indexes Of Renal Function
eGFR
12 RCTs involving 529 participants reported eGFR as primary or secondary outcome . eGFR was calculated using the CKD-EPI creatinine equation or the MDRD formula . Duration of exercise intervention varied between 6weeks and 12months . There was no significant difference in heterogeneity among the 12 RCTs . Our results showed that exercise intervention could bring an average increase of 2.62ml/min/1.73m2 in eGFR in non-dialysis CKD patients, and the difference was statistically significant . When these participants were further stratified based on the duration of exercise intervention, we found that compared to non-exercise subjects, eGFR was significantly increased with short-term exercise , but not with 36months of exercise or 612months of exercise .
Fig. 3
Effects of exercise therapy on indexes of renal function. a. Effect on eGFR based on duration of exercise. b. Effect on SCr based on duration of exercise
Scr
Only 5 RCTs reported sufficient data to evaluate the effect of exercise therapy on Scr, involving 271 participants . Heterogeneity assessment indicated high study heterogeneity . Using the random effect model, we found that there was no significant difference in Scr between the intervention and the control groups . Subgroup analysis based on exercise duration showed no significant improvement of Scr in participants who received exercise intervention of less than 6months or exercise intervention of 612months .
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More On Your Kidney Function Numbers
The normal range for kidney function numbers is between 80 and 129. Anything below 80 is generally quite bad. This will vary between men and women and it is dependent on muscle mass. Petite people without much muscle mass will likely have a low kidney number. It is important for you to know your kidney number, as a lot of people do not know this or even what one is, and therefore they dont wind up getting to their doctor until their kidney function is so low that they will require dialysis or kidney replacement.
Keep Slim To Help Your Kidneys
Being too heavy raises your blood pressure, which is bad for your kidneys. Try to keep yourself at a healthy weight by keeping active and not overeating.
Your body mass index is a helpful way of checking whether you’re a healthy weight. You can use the healthy weight calculator to work out your BMI.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as walking, cycling or swimming, every week.
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The Impact Of Exercise Therapy On Indexes Of Blood Lipids
TC
The effect of exercise therapy on TC was assessed in 7 RCTs involving 394 participants . There was a high level of heterogeneity among these studies . Meta-analysis showed no significant difference in TC level between the experimental and the control groups . Nonetheless, subgroup analysis indicated a significantly increased TC level in non-dialysis CKD patients who received exercise therapy of less than 6months , but not in those who received exercise therapy of 612months .
Fig. 5
Effects of exercise therapy on indexes of blood lipids. a. Effect on TC based on duration of exercise. b. Effect on TG based on duration of exercise. c. Effect on HDL based on duration of exercise. d. Effect on LDL based on duration of exercise
TG
4 RCTs, including 7 groups of data, described the effect of exercise therapy on TG and were analyzed . The random-effect model was used because obvious heterogeneity . No significant difference in TG level was found between the experimental and the control groups . However, exercise intervention of less than 3months markedly decreased TG , while exercise intervention of 312months increased TG in non-dialysis CKD patients .
HDL
12 groups of data from 7 RCTs were included and analyzed . Heterogeneity was statistically low . Exercise intervention did not significantly affect HDL level in non-dialysis CKD patients , even after participants were stratified based on the duration of the exercise intervention .
LDL
Albuminuria: The Urine Albumin: Creatinine Ratio
A simple urine test called the urine Albumin:Creatinine ratio is also performed to look for signs that protein is leaking into the urine . This is an important sign of kidney damage. The ACR is used to calculate the A stage of CKD .
There are three recognised stages of albuminuria:
- A1 normal to mildly increased urine protein levels
- A2 moderately increased urine protein levels
- A3 severely increased urine protein levels
Combining your ACR ratio with your eGFR can help doctors try to predict whether your kidney disease is likely to progress and whether you are more likely to develop complications such as heart and circulatory problems. Other factors are also taken into account, e.g. age. In general, the higher the A stage, the more likely it is that you will benefit from blood pressure-lowering treatment.
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How Some Conditions Affect The Functioning Of Your Kidneys
There are several conditions that are likely to affect the ability of your kidneys to function properly. Some of these can lead to a fast decline in kidney function while others are a slow and gradual decline. They both, however can result in the build-up of the toxic waste in your blood. The renal function labs that your doctor can give you will help to determine the levels of thesesubstances that are present that your kidneys normally regulate. This will help to find out the cause and extent of your kidney dysfunction.
Your doctor will use your kidney function numbers in various ways. When theyve made the diagnosis that there is kidney disease and what kind of disease is causing the problem, they might recommend to you a specific treatment. Even though there isnt any drug therapy that will specifically prevent your kidney disease from progressing, your doctor can make other recommendations for treatments which will slow the disease as much as possible. One thing your doctor can do is to prescribe medication for blood pressure, or diabetes treatments. If your kidney disease is getting worse, your doctor can talk to you about hemodialysis, or the cleansing of your blood by taking out the excess minerals, fluids and wastes. Your doctor may even speak with you about a kidney transplant surgery.
About Chronic Kidney Disease
CKD is a condition in which the kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood as well as they should. Because of this, excess fluid and waste from blood remain in the body and may cause other health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.
15% of US adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease, that is about 37 million people.
Some other health consequences of CKD include:
- Anemia or low number of red blood cells
- Increased occurrence of infections
- Low calcium levels, high potassium levels, and high phosphorus levels in the blood
- Loss of appetite or eating less
- Depression or lower quality of life
CKD has varying levels of seriousness. It usually gets worse over time though treatment has been shown to slow progression. If left untreated, CKD can progress to kidney failure and early cardiovascular disease. When the kidneys stop working, dialysis or kidney transplant is needed for survival. Kidney failure treated with dialysis or kidney transplant is called end-stage renal disease . Learn more about ESRD.
Not all patients with kidney disease progress to kidney failure. To help prevent CKD and lower the risk for kidney failure, control risk factors for CKD, get tested yearly, make lifestyle changes, take medicine as needed, and see your health care team regularly.
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The Impact Of Exercise Therapy On Indexes Of Blood Pressure
Systolic blood pressure
9 RCTs examined systolic blood pressure and 14 groups of data were analyzed. A mild statistical heterogeneity was noted among the included studies . Meta-analysis using the random effect model showed that exercise therapy could markedly reduce SBP by 5.61mmHg in non-dialysis CKD patients. Subgroup analysis showed that SBP was significantly decreased regardless of the duration of exercise intervention. Compared to non-exercise subjects, SBP was decreased by 7.21mmHg in participants who received exercise therapy of less than 6months, and by 4.55mmHg in those who received exercise therapy of 612months .
Fig. 4
Effects of exercise therapy on indexes of blood pressure. a. Effect on systolic blood pressure based on duration of exercise. b. Effect on diastolic blood pressure based on duration of exercise
Diastolic blood pressure
8 RCTs including 12 groups of data were analyzed . Heterogeneity was not obvious , so the fixed-effect approach was applied. Exercise therapy decreased diastolic blood pressure of non-dialysis CKD patients by 2.87mmHg . Additionally, this DBP improvement was independent of the duration of exercise intervention. DBP was decreased by 3.23mmHg in subjects receiving less than 6months of exercise therapy and by 2.82mmHg in subjects receiving 612months of exercise therapy .
Gfr And Kidney Disease Stages
The National Kidney Foundation lists the following GFR scores and kidney disease stages, and what to expect in each:
| GFR | |
| stage 5 | kidney failure |
As you advance through the stages of kidney disease, you will notice more and more symptoms, and your treatments may need to become more intense.
Hemodialysis is a treatment where an artificial kidney filters and circulates your blood when your kidneys can no longer do their job. Its a common method for managing end-stage kidney disease and kidney failure. However, with early diagnosis and careful management, you may be able to at least slow down the progression of your kidney disease.
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Are There Stages Of Chronic Kidney Disease
Yes, there are five stages of kidney disease. The stages are based on how well your kidneys are able to do their job to filter out waste and extra fluid from your blood. The stages range from very mild to kidney failure . Healthcare providers determine the stage of your kidney function according to the glomerular filtration rate . Your GFR is a number based on the amount of creatinine, a waste product, found in your blood, along with other factors including your age, race and gender.
| Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease |
|---|
| Stage |
- Are African-American, Hispanic, Native American or Asian.
- Are over 60 years of age.
- Have a long history of taking painkillers, including over-the-counter products such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
Supplement And Medication Use
Some supplements can increase creatinine levels. Avoiding these supplements may help lower levels.
Many athletes and bodybuilders take supplements containing creatine to build muscle strength and endurance. The muscles use creatine for energy, but if the muscles do not use it, the body converts it into creatinine.
This in high creatinine levels that doctors may misinterpret as kidney disease.
People with high creatinine levels should avoid any product that contains creatine.
Are creatine supplements a good idea? Learn more here.
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How To Increase Gfr Level Naturally
How to improve kidney function naturally? If you are looking for an answer, then this blog post is best for you. In this blog, you will get to know about the natural ways to increase your GFR number.
Glomeruli filtration rate decreases when something obstructs the job roles of your renal system. When the level of creatinine starts increasing in the blood. Your GFR and hemoglobin start decreasing. Your GFR level describes how well your kidneys are working.
If your GFR level is below 15 that means your kidney is failed. And, if your GFR level is between 15 to 60, then you have kidney disease. But, if your GFR level is between 60 to 120 that means you and your kidneys are healthy. So, if your GFR level is high, then consult an Ayurvedachadrya who can increase GFR levels with Ayurveda.
Yes, Ayurveda, it is because there are herbs to increase GFR levels. And, Ayurvedacharya does not use any surgical treatments to cure your failed or diseased kidney.
For your convenience, in this blog, we have mentioned the story of a kidney disease survivor. to see how to increase the GFR level naturally.
Meantime, the patient got to know that there are herbs to increase the GFR level in Karma Ayurveda Hospital. So, he consulted here. Now, with the help of Ayurvedic medications, the patients Glomeruli filtration rate increased to 55.6. Along with that, his kidney functions also improved. And, all the changes occurred due to the compilation of Ayurvedic medications, and a renal diet plan.
Diet And Kidney Disease
Dietary restrictions vary depending on the level of kidney damage.
For example, people in the early stages of kidney disease have different restrictions than those with kidney failure, also known as end-stage renal disease .
If you have kidney disease, your health care provider will determine the best diet for your needs.
For most people with advanced kidney disease, its important to follow a kidney-friendly diet that helps decrease the amount of waste in the blood.
This diet is often referred to as a renal diet.
It helps boost kidney function while preventing further damage .
While dietary restrictions vary, its commonly recommended that all people with kidney disease restrict the following nutrients:
- Sodium.Sodium is found in many foods and a major component of table salt. Damaged kidneys cant filter out excess sodium, causing its blood levels to rise. Its often recommended to limit sodium to less than 2,000 mg per day (
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Improving Your Kidney Function Can Be Simple
So you see for many, improving kidney function doesnt need to be difficult. In most cases, simply by stepping to the side and getting out of your own way, checking your thoughts, fears, and excuses at the door, you can catalyse massive changes in your health, by simply allowing the healing to take place.
Rubbing Lanterns Wont Help Improve Your Kidney Function, But Heres What Can
Now stay with me I am not saying that that you can cure all by thinking just happy thoughts, wishing, and getting out of the way, no definitely not. There are many practical things you can do every day, with little to no fuss that are very effective in helping increase kidney function. Very helpful indeed.
Note: thinking positive however sure wont hurt, in fact it will go a long way your mindset is the single biggest determining factor on how quickly you heal.
So in tune with todays theme of simplicity, I would like to share with you 10 effortless tips that can be applied immediately to help your kidney function, no need to leave home, and no need to spend a dime.
Guideline : Estimation Of Gfr
The GFR is the best overall indicator of the level of kidney function. .1 The GFR should be estimated using a prediction equation that takes into account the serum creatinine level and some or all of these variables: age, sex, race, and body size. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study equation and the Cockcroft-Gault equation provide useful estimates of the GFR in adult patients .46 The NKF guideline1,2 notes that the serum creatinine concentration alone is not optimal for assessing the level of kidney function.
Equations for Predicting GFR in Adults Based on Serum Creatinine Concentration*
Abbreviated MDRD study equation:
|
Cockcroft-Gault equation: |
GFR = glomerular filtration rate MDRD = Modification of Diet in Renal Disease SCr = serum creatinine concentration CCr = creatinine clearance.
*For each equation, SCr is in milligrams per deciliter, age is in years, and weight is in kilograms.
Information from references 4, 5, and 6.
Equations for Predicting GFR in Adults Based on Serum Creatinine Concentration*
Abbreviated MDRD study equation:
|
Cockcroft-Gault equation: |
GFR = glomerular filtration rate MDRD = Modification of Diet in Renal Disease SCr = serum creatinine concentration CCr = creatinine clearance.
*For each equation, SCr is in milligrams per deciliter, age is in years, and weight is in kilograms.
Information from references 4, 5, and 6.
|
0.85 |
GFR = glomerular filtration rate MDRD = Modification of Diet in Renal Disease.
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