Treating Chronic Kidney Disease
As for treatment, much of it relies on healthy lifestyle changes. Its important to correct underlying risk factors, like making sure your diabetes is well-controlled, as well as making dietary changes, says Dr. Malhotra.
He adds that limiting your use of unnecessary supplements and medications , along with smoking cessation and regular exercise can also prevent further kidney damage from occurring.
According to Dr. Robert Greenwell, chief of nephrology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, treating high blood pressure is another way to protect your kidneys from further damage. Controlling your blood pressure with anACE inhibitor or drugs likelosartan or lisinopril can help you maintain kidney function and lower the amount of protein in your urine.
Keep Kidneys Healthy With Regular Exercise
According to a review published in October 2011 in Cochrane Library, regular exercise benefits those living with CKD, as well as those who have undergone a kidney transplant. The review notes that those people who exercised not only improved their overall physical fitness, but also had healthier blood pressure and heart rates, as well as overall good nutrition and lifestyle profiles.
In analyzing 45 different studies with more than 1,800 participants, researchers found that patients on dialysis, those who did not yet need dialysis, and recipients of transplants all benefited from exercise. Resistance training aided walking ability, yoga helped with muscle strength, and cardiovascular exercise improved aerobic capacity.
For more info on the relationship between kidney stones and diabetes, check out this article from Diabetes Daily!
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.
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Eat Fruits And Vegetables For Healthy Kidneys
In a study published in March 2013 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, researchers noted that including more fruits and vegetables in your diet can minimize your risk for kidney injury and metabolic acidosis, a condition in which the body produces too much acid, cant excrete enough acid, or cant balance acid. An overabundance of acid can cause potentially dangerous symptoms, like rapid breathing, fatigue, confusion, and in extreme cases even shock or death. Fruits and veggies help the kidneys remove excess acid from the body and excrete it in urine.
Adding more fruits and vegetables has specifically helped patients with chronic kidney disease, who are most susceptible to metabolic acidosis. These patients are usually treated with bicarbonate and other alkali supplements. But in this study, the doctors at Texas A& M University College of Medicine in Temple, Texas, wanted to see the effect of simply eating more fruits and vegetables both of which are good, natural sources of alkali.
The researchers randomly treated 71 stage 4 chronic kidney disease patients with either a diet including fruits and vegetables or an oral alkaline medicine. Both groups showed similar kidney function, decreased rates of metabolic acidosis, and lowered rates of kidney injury. The researchers argued in their paper that these interventions may help improve kidney health in people diagnosed with kidney disease.
Risk Factors For Kidney Disease
Diabetes – The increased sugar level in the body damages blood vessels and filters in the kidneys that purifies the blood. This leads to the retention of more blood and water in the body and accumulates more wastes. This causes nerve damage and blocks urine from passing out which leads to kidney failure.
High Blood Pressure – Increased blood pressure causes severe damage to blood vessels in the entire body. Increased blood flow weakens and scars the blood vessels in the kidneys and stops it from discarding waste from the blood. The accumulation of extra fluids, in turn, raises blood pressure level causing severe damage to kidneys. High blood pressure can be treated through medicines and by bringing lifestyle changes like diet, exercise and stress levels.
Lupus – It is a condition that allows the immune system to attack a few parts of the body including the kidneys. The condition affecting the kidneys are called lupus nephritis. This causes severe damage to blood vessels in the kidneys by scarring and swelling of blood vessels. This can be cured through medications to correct the immune system and blood pressure levels.
Anorexia Nervosa – This condition is found in people who are anaemic and those who weigh 15% less than their ideal body weight. This is caused due to lack of salt and water in the body which leads to severe damage and kidney failure.
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Drug Reduces Risk Of Kidney Failure In People With Diabetes Study Finds
- Date:
- Stanford Medicine
- Summary:
- A new landmark clinical trial shows that a drug lowers the risk of kidney failure by a third in people with Type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.
A new landmark clinical trial shows that a drug lowers the risk of kidney failure by a third in people with Type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.
For the first time in 18 years, we have a therapy for patients with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease that decreases kidney failure, said Kenneth Mahaffey, MD, professor of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine and co-principal investigator of the trial. Now, patients with diabetes have a promising option to guard against one of the most severe risks of their condition.
The trial involved 4,401 participants in 34 countries.
The drug, canagliflozin, improves on a nearly two-decades-old therapy that is currently the only treatment approved to protect kidney function in people with Type 2 diabetes. In the trial, canagliflozin also was found to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events.
Canagliflozin increases the excretion of glucose through the kidneys. It has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to lower blood glucose in patients with Type 2 diabetes and to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with Type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease.
Definitive trial result
Nutritional Changes To Protect Your Kidneys
1. Stay mindful of your sodium intake. Keep the salt and potassium you ingest at a moderate level. Pay attention to these warning signs of too much salt consumption.
2. Maintain a healthy nutrition. Eat meals with small amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat. You can find more information about healthy eating and nutrition in my e-book Effortless Healthy Eating which is part of the Natural Health Revolution Program. This program will help you to achieve your health, nutrition or weight loss goals.
3. Maintain low protein diet. Too much protein consumption is bad for the kidneys. Ask your physician how much you should eat daily according to your body type.
4. A sufficient amount of calories is necessary for the kidneys, so starving yourself for weight loss isnt a great idea.
5. Watermelons, apples and berries are among the foods that should be at the top of your grocery list find more information in my article about proven foods for healthy kidneys.
6. Stay hydrated. Drink about 8 glasses of fluid, preferably water, every day. Not drinking enough water is one of thecommon habits that can damage your kidneys,
Kidney disease is a sobering reality that plagues many thousands of families every single year. Damage to the kidneys cant be repaired but it can be lived with if detected early enough though prevention is the best choice.
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Important Information About Sick Day Management
Several classes of medications that are used commonly in people with diabetes can either reduce kidney function during periods of illness or build up to a toxic level as kidney flow is reduced during times of sickness. These medications must be stopped temporarily until the person is well. For more information about managing diabetes when you are ill, including a printable sick day plan, .
It is important that people with diabetes have their blood and urine tested annually for early signs of kidney disease. If there are signs of kidney disease, medications and lifestyle changes can help delay further damage to the kidneys. The earlier kidney disease in diabetes is detected, the better, as it will reduce the chance of progression to advanced kidney disease and the need for dialysis or transplant.
Preventing Chronic Kidney Disease When You Have Diabetes
According to The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, diabetes is the cause of approximately 44% of all new cases of diabetic nephropathy. Nephropathy is a medical term for kidney disease. Diabetes can cause damage to the filters in your kidneys over time. As more damage occurs, chronic kidney disease can develop. CKD is a serious complication of diabetes. It cannot be cured, only managed. Getting an early diagnosis of nephropathy and treating your diabetes can help limit the kidney damage and may prevent kidney failure where dialysis becomes necessary.
An early diagnosis
An early diagnosis of diabetes can help your doctor treat the condition before it does more damage to your body. Type 1 diabetes is easily diagnosed in its early stages, before kidney damage occurs. However, Type 2 diabetes often goes undiagnosed for years. Many people who have Type 2 diabetes do not realize it.
Because Type 2 diabetes may have been present for many years before it is diagnosed, this means the high glucose content in the blood has had time to damage the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys. When these blood vessels are damaged, protein that is meant to remain in the body can leak into the urine. This is a condition called microalbuminuria, and it is an early symptom of kidney disease.
Control your blood glucose levels
Control your blood pressure levels
Keep healthy habits
Summary
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Test For And Treat High Blood Sugar And Blood Pressure
If you have diabetes, good blood sugar control can help protect your kidneys. Knowing what your blood sugar is and how it reacts to what you do and what you eat is the first step to keeping it in control. Your care team will tell you what blood sugar targets to aim for.
Keeping your blood pressure in the target range can also protect your kidneys. Like blood sugar, knowing your blood pressure is the first step to getting it in control.
The Water Hydration Technique
You know how most of us generally go for long periods without water, become thirsty and scull the next available glass in about 30 seconds? Have you ever thought what this does to your body? No? I dont blame you.
The actual fact of the matter is that every time you a drink a glass of water in a hurry, you are placing pressure on kidney function. How? Well, seeing as one of the functions of the kidneys is to keep the fluid levels in the blood stream balanced, by drinking a full glass of water at once you are essentially dumping a large amount of water into the blood stream, which the kidneys now need to balance out . By drinking slowly, a mouthful at a time, you reduce the pressure on the kidneys and increase hydration. Sound too simple to do any good? Good. Now try it.
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Lifestyle Changes To Protect Your Kidneys
1. Blood pressure plays a big part in kidney function. Keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level will help reduce damage to the kidneys. Find here more information on how to reduce high blood pressure naturally.
2. Smoking and drinking should be avoided because they wreak havoc on your kidneys. For example, the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that smoking and consumption of four or more servings of alcohol per day are associated with CKD .
3. Get active with more exercise. It will strengthen your entire body and give you more energy. It will help you keep optimal body weight and reduce your risk of obesity, diabetes and hypertension that can damage the kidneys over time.
4. Consider supplements that provide calcium and vitamin D if you feel you dont get enough on a daily basis. Always consult with your doctor before taking them.
5. Limit using painkillers and steroids and only use them when you feel they are absolutely necessary. For example, the medical journal, Pharmaceuticals , found that NSAIDs pose a significant risk of renal failure for significant duration and as an entity may be under-recognized. .
How Does Glomerular Disease Interfere With Kidney Function
Glomerular disease damages the glomeruli, affecting their ability to properly function. Instead of keeping protein and red blood cells circulating in the blood, damaged glomeruli leak some of these products into your urine. One of the jobs of proteins in the blood, such as albumin, is to move extra fluid from the body to the bloodstream so it can be filtered by the kidneys and removed from the body as urine. Not having enough protein in your bloodstream keeps extra fluid in your body, causing swelling in areas including your face, hands, feet, abdomen and ankles.
Damaged glomeruli also cant filter out waste products and these products begin to build up in your blood.
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S To Keeping Your Kidneys Healthy
Start by asking your doctor for blood panel readings of your BUN and creatinine levels and your eGFR numbers.
| Test | |
| Kidney damage | Greater than 60 mg/min |
Scores from these tests tell you how strong your kidneys are now. Because kidney diseases can be symptom-free, you may not notice anything wrong before youve suffered irreparable damage. To prevent getting in that situation, I advise you to:
How Is Your Glomerular Filtration Rate Measured
The glomerular filtration rate measurement comes from the name of the filtering units inside your kidneys, called the glomeruli.
Glomeruli are complex structures made of tiny blood vessels called capillaries, along with protein mesh and layers of tissue that continuously filter your plasma. Each glomerulus is housed within a structure called a Bowmans capsule. Based on 2020 research, between your 2 kidneys, you have about 2 million glomeruli.
A number of formulas are used by groups like the National Kidney Foundation to calculate GFR. But the measurement essentially takes into consideration your gender, age, body size, and your blood creatinine level.
Creatinine is a waste product that your body creates as muscle breaks down. Everyone has some creatinine in their blood. Average levels range from:
- 0.9 to 1.3 milligrams per deciliter in adult men
- 0.6 to 1.1 milligrams per deciliter in adult women
These levels can vary. For example, in a 2009 research review, creatinine levels fell by an average of 0.4 milligrams per deciliter in pregnant women.
Because they can change with age and size, creatinine levels alone are not good indicators of kidney health. The GFR takes these other elements into account.
Most GFR results simply provide you with a measurement of 60 or higher, since you can have stage 1 or 2 kidney disease, but still have normal kidney function. This changes when your GFR drops below 60. Under 60, you begin to have some loss in function.
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How Is Ckd Treated
Damage to your kidneys is usually permanent. Although the damage cannot be fixed, you can take steps to keep your kidneys as healthy as possible for as long as possible. You may even be able to stop the damage from getting worse.
- Control your blood sugar if you have diabetes.
- Keep a healthy blood pressure.
- Follow a low-salt, low-fat diet.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
- Keep a healthy weight.
- Do not smoke or use tobacco.
- Limit alcohol.
- Talk to your doctor about medicines that can help protect your kidneys.
If you catch kidney disease early, you may be able to prevent kidney failure. If your kidneys fail, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.