How can chronic kidney disease lead to other health issues? The kidneys do more than filter waste from the blood and balance your blood’s water, salt, and mineral levels. They also help clean and remove extra fluid from the blood, control your blood pressure, and help produce red blood cells (erythrocytes) and Vitamin D for bone health.

For this reason, a person with improperly functioning kidneys can also have problems with other bodily functions. The American Kidney Fund lists the following as potential complications from chronic kidney disease.*

Potential complications

Gout

Patients with CKD may have elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid deposits in joints, tendons, and the surrounding tissues, which causes a gout attack. Gout is a type of arthritis and very common with CKD. As a result, a CKD patient may have one or more joints that are painful and swollen.

Anemia

Anemia is a condition in which the body has fewer red blood cells (erythrocytes) than normal. Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues and organs throughout the body and enable them to use energy from food. With anemia, red blood cells carry less oxygen, and the tissues and organs in need of oxygen may not function as well as they should.

Weak bones

Patients with CKD often have mineral and bone disorders from underlying issues with calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and/or vitamin D. In CKD, the kidneys are unable to balance phosphorous levels—a mineral in food that works with calcium and vitamin D to keep bones strong.

Heart disease

“Heart disease can cause kidney disease, but kidney disease can also cause heart disease,” writes the American Kidney Fund. Kidney disease and heart disease are related because they share two main causes: diabetes and high blood pressure.

High potassium (Hyperkalemia)

Elevated potassium is common with CKD, due to the kidneys’ central role in maintaining normal potassium levels. Healthy kidneys lower excessive blood levels of the mineral. People with CKD should limit potassium consumption, since the kidneys may not be able to filter it.

Fluid buildup

Healthy kidneys remove extra fluid from the blood. In patients with CKD, the kidneys are unable to eliminate enough fluid. As a result, excess fluid accumulates in the body and makes organ function more difficult, particularly for the heart and lungs. The buildup of extra fluid may also cause high blood pressure. Some tips to control your fluid intake are to eat a low-sodium diet, suck on an ice cube when thirsty, remember that solid foods (such as fruits and vegetables) contain water, and record your food and liquid intake.

*American Kidney Fund. Complications of CKD.