My girl’s heart murmur go?
diseased in any way, they are just growing a little old, as with the rest of the body.
CKD can be graded from one to five, with three being moderate. It is measured by what is known as the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) which is done as part of a standard blood test for kidney (or renal) function.
In most people with CKD stage three, the kidneys continue to work well enough, no treatment is needed and neither do you need to see a kidney specialist.
However you should have a blood test at least once a year to check that your kidney function is not getting any worse.
CKD is more common in people with diabetes and high blood pressure so your doctor will probably want to check for these.
Although infections in the bladder do not increase the risk of CKD, if the infection spreads up to the kidneys this can be a risk factor.
So it is important that if you do get a bladder infection it is treated promptly, and rather than causing damage, the medication you are given for this will help to protect your kidneys.
If you have a health question for Dr Rosemary please write to her in confidence at The Northern & Shell Building, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN or email health@express.co.uk
Dr Rosemary’s reply will appear in this column. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence and that due to the volume of letters she cannot reply to everyone. Find out about her at drrosemaryleonard.co.uk