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.
Treat High Blood Pressure
Antihypertensive medications and lifestyle modifications are the cornerstones for treating high blood pressure.
ACE inhibitors and ARBs have been shown to slow the progression of CKD, particularly in patients with albuminuria. These medications lower glomerular capillary blood pressure as well as systemic blood pressure. These classes of drugs may also be considered in glomerular kidney disease when hypertension is not present. Monitor for hyperkalemia when prescribing these medications.
If the patient is not meeting the blood pressure goal, review
- adequacy of dietary salt restriction
- adequacy of diuretic regimen
- adherence to medication regimen
Stages Of Renal Failure In Dogs
The elevation of blood waste product and abnormalities in urine, including the presence of protein, can indicate the severity of chronic kidney disease.
According to the International Renal Interest Society , stages of chronic renal disease are numbered 1 through 4 . The higher the stage number, the more symptoms youll often see in your pet. Its best if some treatments are started when the pet is at a specific stage of chronic kidney disease.
Median survival time for dogs in Stage 1 is more than 400 days, while Stage 2 ranged from 200 to 400 days and Stage 3 ranged from 110 to 200 days.
End-Stage Renal Disease in Dogs
Chronic kidney disease is progressive, and there is no cure. By the time an animal shows signs of the disease, damage is severe. The nephrons that remain are working hard to compensate for the nephrons lost to damage or age. In time, these remaining nephrons will also fail.
As the disease progresses prognosis worsens and survival time decreases with each stage. Median survival time for Stage 4 kidney disease ranges from 14 to 80 days, according to IRIS.
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How Will My Veterinarian Determine The Degree Kidney Failure In My Dog
Your veterinarian will use the IRIS staging system. IRIS staging is based on serum creatinine levels, with sub-staging based on the presence of protein in the urine and measuring your dogs blood pressure. By using this staging, your veterinarian has a better idea of how to proceed with treatment, monitor progress, and to estimate your pets prognosis.
Diagnosing Chronic Kidney Disease
Physicians who suspect chronic kidney disease in their patients will typically run bloodwork to check GFR and perform a urinalysis to measure a specific kind of protein calledalbumin. They may also measurecreatinine levels creatinine, a waste product filtered by the kidneys, often accumulates when kidney function is lowered. Since a normal level of creatinine varies with sex, age, and muscle mass, creatinine levels alone cant diagnose kidney disease, though it may be used in conjunction with urinalysis and GFR testing.
These lab tests, in addition toultrasounds andbiopsies of the kidney, can help doctors diagnose the presence of damage.
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Dehydration And Kidney Disease
Thus under normal circumstances many of us flirt with mild dehydration over sustained periods. Shortness of breath is a common symptom of dehydration and so is low energy. When someone is dehydrated and experiencing these symptoms one merely has to drink several glasses of water to feel the bodys almost instant response to hydration. Add some sodium bicarbonate and the response is even greater.
Courtesy of Brian D. Foltz
It makes perfect sense that chronic dehydration would be a problem for the kidneys. The element in nature associated with the Kidney is water, which is appropriate and symbolic in that water is the source of all life. The organ paired with the Kidney is the Urinary Bladder, and together both organs govern water metabolism in the body.
Sexuality and creativity are emotional components of the Kidney system. As the organ that governs survival through reproduction, the Kidney system is responsible for libido and strength of sexual attraction.
The emotions associated with kidneys are fear and fright. Fear has the ability to shake you to your core, and chronic fright translates into something very much like unrelenting stress, which is extremely damaging to the Kidney. In Western medicine, your adrenal glands pump out adrenaline and are located right next to your Kidneys.
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How Do Doctors Treat Stage 3 Ckd
Doctors treat Stage 3 CKD with medicines that help with your symptoms and with other health problems kidney disease can cause, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
These medicines include:
- Blood pressure medicines like ACE inhibitors and ARBs
- Diabetes medicines to keep your blood sugar at a healthy level
- Calcium and vitamin D supplements to keep your bones strong
- Diuretics to help with swelling
- Iron supplements to help with anemia
You may also need to stop taking certain medicines that can worsen the damage to your kidneys, such as pain medicines called NSAIDs and some arthritis medicines. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you takeeven ones they did not prescribe.
If you do not have a nephrologist , talk to your regular doctor about finding one. You and your nephrologist can work together to make a treatment plan just for you. Your nephrologist will also do lab tests to check your kidney health often, usually every 90 days .
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Mineral And Bone Disorders
CKD can lead to abnormalities in how the kidneys metabolize nutrients. The kidney is unable to make enough vitamin D. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to poor bone health. These disorders increase cardiovascular disease risk and death.
Phosphorus levels become elevated during stage 3 of kidney disease. Weakened kidneys also have trouble removing phosphorus from the body. Calcium levels will then fall. This tells the brain to secrete the parathyroid hormone to stop the body from excreting calcium.
Secondary hyperparathyroidism then occurs. It is when the body takes calcium from the bones. It can start happening even before phosphorus levels become abnormal.
These changes in calcium, phosphorus, PTH, vitamin D affect bone formation. When the eGFR drops below 60 mL/min changes in bone structure will occur this is known as renal osteodystrophy.
It occurs due to bone turnover and consists of four types:
- Osteitis fibrosa cystica
- Osteomalacia
- Adynamic bone disorder
- Mixed osteodystrophy
Bone turnover is when the body takes calcium from the bone and moves it to the blood or kidneys. It can be high or low depending on how many osteoclasts or bone-breaking cells are present. High bone turnover is when many osteoclasts are present. Low bone turnover is when there are a normal or reduced number of osteoclasts.
How Fast Does Stage 3 Ckd Progress
This depends on a number of factors that will vary by patient. These include age, the underlying diagnosis, the implementation and success of secondary preventive measures, and the individual patient, according to Medscape. Studies have been done, however, to learn how to best predict progression from CKD to kidney failure.
One such study found that the following all suggested faster disease progression:
- Younger age
- Male sex
The same study also found that a higher risk of kidney failure could be predicted by a:
- Lower serum albumin, calcium, and bicarbonate level
- Higher serum phosphate level
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New Preclinical Models To Improve Target Validation And Understand Disease Development
We are in a stronger position than ever before to look for targets and treatments now we have a deeper molecular understanding of CKD. To use this new knowledge to our best advantage, we need the right research tools to simulate the disease and test our hypotheses. We are investing in the development of new, sophisticated models that mimic the human kidney more accurately than has ever previously been possible.
The complexity of the kidney means it has been virtually impossible to emulate in classical in vitro systems, while in vivo models are resource intensive to produce, and not always translatable to human systems.
The new model systems we are embedding into our research pipeline to bridge this gap include 3D bioprinting and organs-on-chips. With these groundbreaking techniques, we can test compound behaviour and hope to shed new light on previously elusive disease mechanisms.
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Bonus #: Free Lifetime Updates
The programs creators frequently make changes to the program in line with the latest research as well as medical advances. After you have purchased the program, you will get lifetime access to all future updates and improvements for free. Customers who purchase the program will get prior access to the latest advancements.
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Signs You May Have Kidney Disease
More than 37 million American adults are living with kidney disease and most dont know it. There are a number of physical signs of kidney disease, but sometimes people attribute them to other conditions. Also, those with kidney disease tend not to experience symptoms until the very late stages, when the kidneys are failing or when there are large amounts of protein in the urine. This is one of the reasons why only 10% of people with chronic kidney disease know that they have it, says Dr. Joseph Vassalotti, Chief Medical Officer at the National Kidney Foundation.
While the only way to know for sure if you have kidney disease is to get tested, Dr. Vassalotti shares 10 possible signs you may have kidney disease. If youre at risk for kidney disease due to high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure or if youre older than age 60, its important to get tested annually for kidney disease. Be sure to mention any symptoms youre experiencing to your healthcare practitioner.
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How To Reverse Kidney Disease Naturally
To reverse kidney damage and halt the progression of kidney disease, it is crucial to treat the underlying cause. Here we discuss the specific ways to reverse kidney disease related to the most common causes, including metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and hypertension.
In other cases of kidney disease, these suggestions may still be helpful. However, if the underlying cause of your diagnosis is related to infection, a genetic disorder like polycystic kidney disease, or exposure to toxins, then specialized treatment may be required. In any case, always work with your doctors and consult him or her regarding dietary guidelines for your case of kidney disease.
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Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Stage 3 Kidney Disease
- What do my lab values mean? The results of your regular bloodwork help your doctor monitor your kidney health and calculate your estimate glomerular filtration rate , which determines your CKD stage. Changes in your lab values may indicate a change in your kidney function.
- What should I expect next with CKD? A stage 3 kidney disease diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean that your condition will progress to stage 4 or stage 5. With lifestyle changes and a treatment plan from your doctor, it’s possible to slow the progression of CKD and preserve kidney function.
- Am I doing everything I can to slow CKD progression? Your doctor may have additional guidance on what you can do to stay your healthiest, including eating well and managing your existing medicationsespecially if you are managing other health conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. Looking after your overall health can help you protect your kidney health and feel your best.
Who Came Up With Who Came Up With The Kidney Disease Solution Program
The Kidney Disease Solution was created by Duncan Capicchiano and his wife, Fiona Chin, from Melbourne, Australia. They started a wellness clinic in Melbourne with more than 13 health professionals who are natural.
As fully qualified Naturopaths and Naturopaths, they have a common background in natural and herbal medicine.
The program started as an alternative treatment method for Fionas grandmother who was diagnosed with stage-4 renal disease. The couple devised an all-natural plan that helped improve her condition in just 12 weeks. After 6 months her health changed from stage 4 to stage and she remained healthy for the next 10 years.
After their successes with Fionas mother, they decided to launch and share their method of treatment to those suffering from kidney disease.
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What Is Chronic Kidney Disease
Classified as damage to your kidneys that has gone on for many months, chronic kidney disease occurs when your kidneys stop working like the fine-tuned filtration system they are .
Acute kidney disease, or damage that is mild and has occurred recently, may be reversed if doctors catch it in time. Acute kidney disease then becomes chronic kidney disease. But chronic kidney disease is harder to cureand damage to the kidneys is often something you might not know you have until its too late to intervene.
Chronic kidney disease is actually more common than you think. According to University of Missouri Health Care nephrologist Kunal Malhotra, MD, national statistics show that 14% of Americans have it, including 1 in 3 people with diabetes, and 1 in 5 patients with high blood pressure. Having eitheror bothof those conditions makes you more likely to have chronic kidney disease, as does having a family history of kidney problems, havingarterial vascular disease, or being of African American descent.
Maintain A Healthy Weight
Having a high body mass index is a risk factor for chronic kidney disease and losing weight may help improve kidney function. Regular exercise helps you burn more calories. Introducing a workout plan into your daily routine can also help improve both your kidney function and cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure.
In addition to exercise, stick to whole plant-based foods that are high in fiber, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds.
The steps to achieve a healthy weight will simultaneously improve metabolic conditions like insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, as well as associated conditions like fatty liver disease and chronic kidney disease.
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Cut Out Processed Foods
Processed foods generally refer to anything that is sold in a package, such as cookies, crackers, chips, processed meats, cheese, desserts, candy, and baked goods. Refined grains like white bread and white pasta are also categorized as processed foods.
Manufactured food items can have deleterious effects on kidney function. Added preservatives to retain freshness are artificial chemicals that can be taxing for your kidney to process. The high salt content of preserved meats and cheeses contributes to high blood pressure and makes it more difficult for your kidney to control blood sodium levels and water retention. Moreover, processed foods high in refined sugar like soft drinks and candies spikes your blood sugar, which can over time lead to insulin resistance, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.
Additionally, processed foods are usually high in calories, low in essential nutrients, and lack the compounds that improve renal function.
Can You Reverse Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease
A large number of Americans are thought to suffer from chronic Kidney Disease. The majority of the time, dialysis and kidney transplant are the only options available to those who are in the advanced stages of the disease.
Take a look at the Kidney Disease Solution, an all-in-one manual to improve kidney health and functioning. Created by Duncan Capicchiano and his wife Fiona Chin, the program aims to guide users to stop kidney disease using natural methods.
This thorough review will go over everything you should learn about the program starting with how it works, to the benefits and pricing. If youre wondering if this program will work for you, continue reading.
Before you go on, you may want to watch this video by Review Vid on YouTube that gives a quick overview. Afterward, youll want to read the rest of the article for a more comprehensive review.
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Does Stage 3 Kidney Disease Require Dialysis
Stage 3 kidney disease does not require dialysis. However, if youre wondering, does stage 3 kidney disease always progress to needing dialysis? The answer varies depending on how well youre taking care of yourself.
According to research, stage 3 kidney disease can progress to stage 4. Having renal failure and needing dialysis is rare but is still possible for people with stage 3 kidney disease. Most cases of ESRD were specifically among those with stage 3-B.
If you are worried about disease progression and dialysis the best thing you can do is to adhere to the medical and nutritional recommendations above. These will help to preserve kidney function and stop you from needing dialysis or a kidney transplant.
If youre curious how to know when you need dialysis you want to look for signs that indicate kidney failure. They include
- Swelling in the extremities
- Headaches
- Poor memory