EVER THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR KIDNEY HEALTH?

There’s Never Been A Better Time.

Highly prevalent, underdiagnosed, and treatable at an early stage, everyone should be screening for kidney disease

DID YOU KNOW that Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) impacts 1 in 10 people globally? An estimated two million Canadians have CKD – but surprisingly, most are unaware of their disease.

Despite its prevalence, CKD is greatly underdiagnosed. Studies suggest that fewer than half of all CKD cases are diagnosed.

Kidneys are critical to your health. The bean shaped organs “clean” your blood by removing waste from the body through your urine, help make red blood cells, and regulate blood pressure. Every minute, your kidneys filter about one litre of blood.

Chronic Kidney Disease is the presence of kidney damage, or a decreased level of kidney function, for a period of three months or more. It can range from mild to severe and in some cases, lead to kidney failure. Fortunately, most people do not progress to end-stage kidney disease, especially if they are diagnosed early and able to take steps to preserve their remaining kidney function.

There are a variety of factors that increase risk of CKD. Hypertension and diabetes are responsible for more than half of all CKD cases, and cardiovascular disease is also a significant risk. Other risk factors include older age, family history, obesity, and substance abuse.

With new treatments for early-stage kidney disease that can slow disease progression, preserve kidney function, and improve patient outcomes, early intervention has never been more important.

However, early stage kidney disease can be difficult to identify as it’s often asymptomatic. The signs and symptoms associated with kidney dysfunction, such as increased urination, insomnia and fatigue, poor appetite, shortness of breath, muscle cramps, nausea, or dry or itchy skin often do not appear until kidney disease has progressed.

But there’s a simple solution to protecting your health. Asking your doctor for a simple blood (eGFR) and urine test (uACR) (see box) can reveal kidney dysfunction you didn’t know was there.

KDIGO, a non-profit organization focused on evidence-based clinical practice guidelines in kidney disease, recommends screening in high-risk individuals, such as those with hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease as well as those with other factors that increase risk.

Despite these guidelines and new effective treatments for kidney dysfunction, many Canadians simply don’t know to self-advocate for kidney screening, resulting in preventable progressive kidney disease that goes unnoticed. When it comes to protecting your kidneys, self-advocacy can be critical: ask your doctor for an eGFR blood test and uACR urine test for a window into your kidney health.