An estimated 37 million adults in the U.S. have chronic kidney disease (CKD), but most don’t know they have it. CKD can be sneaky, often not announcing its presence with noticeable symptoms until the later stages after considerable damage has been done. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains why it’s critical to get tested for CKD and adopt a kidney-healthy lifestyle sooner rather than later.*

Why are the kidneys so important?

Your kidneys perform many tasks that are necessary for life. 

The kidneys:

• filter your blood to remove wastes, toxins, and excess fluid; 
• help control blood pressure; 
• stimulate the production of red blood cells;
• keep your bones healthy; and 
• regulate blood chemicals.

Unlike a sudden injury, kidney disease wreaks havoc over time. You can live for many years, or decades, completely unaware that you have CKD—and, thus, not making lifestyle changes to support kidney health nor taking the necessary steps to treat the disease.

Unfortunately, there is not yet a cure for CKD. Left untreated, it will most likely progress to kidney failure, also known as stage 5 CKD, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Once your kidneys fail, you will require either dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to survive. 

Who has the highest risk of CKD?

Many of the population groups at higher risk for developing CKD are also at higher risk for the disease to progress to kidney failure, but there are some differences.

CKD

Those at higher risk for CKD include people:

• with diabetes (the leading cause of CKD);
• with high blood pressure (the second leading cause of CKD);
• with heart disease;
• with a family history of CKD; and
• of African American, Hispanic/Latinx, or Native American ancestry.

ESKD

Diabetes and high blood pressure are not only the leading causes of CKD; they’re also the primary causes of kidney failure, or ESKD. Diabetes alone accounts for 44% of new ESKD cases.

Race and ethnicity are also significant factors for developing kidney failure.

Statistics show that:

• African Americans are about 3 times more likely to develop ESKD than Caucasians, and
• Hispanics are about 35% more likely to develop ESKD than non-Hispanics.

Gender and CKD

Gender plays a role in CKD development and progression, too.

Studies have shown the following data:

• CKD is more common in women than in men.
• Men are almost 65% more likely than women to progress to kidney failure.
• More men are on dialysis than women.

What should I do if I’m at risk?

If you’re at risk for kidney disease, get your kidneys checked regularly. Make kidney screenings a part of your routine doctor visits. Kidney health is determined using simple blood and urine tests. Regular testing helps identify CKD early, and early intervention is the most effective path to prevention and treatment. 

How can I best support my kidney health?

• Keep your blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg (or the target your doctor gives you).
• Take steps to stay in your optimal blood sugar range.
• Get, and stay, physically active, to help manage your blood pressure and blood sugar.
• If you’re overweight, lose weight and maintain the ideal weight for your height and build.
• Get tested for CKD regularly.
• If you have CKD, craft a kidney-healthy diet with the aid of a knowledgeable dietitian.
• Take medications as instructed by your healthcare provider.
• Quit smoking, or don’t start. Smoking interferes with some blood pressure medications and can cause kidney disease to progress faster.
• If you have prediabetes or diabetes, ask your primary care physician for a referral to a nephrologist (kidney doctor).

If you have any of the factors that put you at risk for CKD, ask your doctor to test you for kidney disease. If “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” it’s worth that much more when we’re talking about a disease with no known cure.

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, Jan. 27). Get Tested for Chronic Kidney Disease. https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/get-tested.html