Take steps to protect kidney health

Dear Dr. Roach: I have had low GFR readings ranging from 53 to 37 for the 15 years. I’m an 87-year-old female in good health. I do strength training and Pilates, and am active walking my dog and doing yardwork. I’ve had heart disease for 10 years, and echocardiograms are normal.

My cholesterol runs around 180, and my blood pressure fluctuates from 137/68 to 150/75. I take lovastatin and lisinopril. My doctor is not concerned about my numbers as long as there are no “spikes” or “drops,” and he stresses importance of drinking water. When I’m sore I will take an Aleve tablet, only once during a four- to six-week period, as I know NSAIDs are not good for the kidneys. I sometimes take an occasional Tylenol.

Am I doing all I can to help myself ? I prefer not to take medication for my GFR, nor does my doctor recommend it. We monitor it with frequent bloodwork but the past two readings four months apart were 37 and 41. — I.F.

Dear I.F.: Recent changes in reporting kidney function have caused many to be concerned about kidneys. Kidney function decreases as we get older. People can develop what is called stage 3 kidney failure as part of aging. What can be very important to look at is the rate of decline: Since yours seems to have been fairly stable, the likelihood of you going on to need dialysis is quite low.

Your doctor HAS you on a medicine to help your kidney function. Although, it’s most effective when the drop in kidney function is associated with protein loss in the urine.

Avoiding kidney-toxic drugs is critical. One a month seems low risk to me.

Switching to plant-based protein has been observed to reduce risk in kidney disease.