Mar. 31 – 7 Golden Rules of Kidney Disease Prevention
Many of us don’t give much thought to our hardworking kidneys but the truth is 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for developing kidney disease. The main risk factors are diabetes <https://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozTopic_Diabetes>, high blood pressure <https://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozTopic_HighBloodPressure>, a family history of kidney failure and being age 60 or older <https://www.kidney.org/news/monthly/wkd_aging>. In honor of National Kidney Month, the NKF offers 7 Golden Rules of Prevention to lower your chances of getting kidney disease.
1. Get regular check-ups
You take your car in for a tune-up to make sure it runs smoothly, so why wouldn’t you take care of your body? Your doctor can check for kidney disease with 2 simple tests <https://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/twosimpletests>: a urine test and blood test. A urine test called albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) checks if there is a protein called albumin in your urine. A blood test called glomerular filtration rate (GFR) tells how well your kidneys are working to remove waste from your body.
2. Control Blood Pressure
High blood pressure <https://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozTopic_HighBloodPressure> can damage your kidneys and increase your chances of getting kidney disease. If your blood pressure remains high, your doctor may have you take medicine. Making simple tweaks to your lifestyle, such as cutting back on salt and alcohol, losing excess weight, and exercising can help keep your blood pressure in check.
3. Control Blood Sugar
High blood sugar levels make the kidneys filter too much blood. Over time, this extra work stresses the kidneys and can cause damage. If you have diabetes <https://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozTopic_Diabetes>, the best way to protect your kidneys is to keep your blood sugar well controlled. Your treatment plan may include diet, exercise, and medicine to lower your blood sugar levels.
4. Eat a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet plan, such as the DASH <https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/Dash_Diet_Tips> (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet, can help lower blood pressure and lower your chances of getting heart disease and kidney disease. The DASH eating plan includes fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts. It also has less sodium, sugars, fats, and red meats.
5. Exercise
You’ve heard if before and we’re going to say it again: you must exercise <https://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozTopic_Fitness-Rehabilitation>. <https://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozTopic_Fitness-Rehabilitation> Exercise can help you keep a healthy weight, control blood pressure and cholesterol, build strength and endurance, and lower your chances of getting diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. There are many types of exercises that can help you stay healthy including walking, household chores, playing a sport, or aerobic exercise (jogging, swimming, biking, climbing stairs, or hiking).
6. Quit Smoking
By now you should know the many dangers associated with smoking <https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/smoking>. Smoking causes diseases in every organ of the body, including the kidneys. If you are not able to quit smoking on your own, ask your doctor about treatment options.
7. Do not overuse pain medicines
Using too much pain medicines called NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen) may cause kidney disease. Long-term use of NSAIDs, especially at high doses, reduces the blood flow to the kidney which causes harm to kidney tissue. Ask your doctor about other medicine to manage pain, such as acetaminophen.
