Tips from a UnityPoint Clinic doctor on how to protect your kidneys
You need your kidneys to live, just like you need your heart, lungs and liver. Often when kidney disease is found and treated early, it can be stopped or slowed. March is National Kidney Month. Dr. Abha Saxena, a nephrologist at UnityPoint Clinic Diabetes and Kidney Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa recently was interviewed by Doug Wagner from WMT-AM radio about the importance of kidney health.
Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney disease and kidney failure in United States. High blood sugar causes inflammation in the small blood vessels and slowly the kidney loses its function. The main filtration in kidneys happen in small vessels. As the vessels start getting damaged due to inflammation the changes in structure start to happen.
It may take up to 4-5 years after diagnosis of diabetes to start seeing significant damage in the kidneys. The first sign of kidney damage due to diabetes is the presence of protein in the urine. About 30 percent of people with diabetes develop kidney damage. It is more common with Type 1 diabetes. Obesity and high blood pressure also play a significant role in prognosis of kidney disease.
There are special medications to protect kidneys against diabetes and with close monitoring of blood sugar, blood pressure and protein in the urine the life of the kidney is usually elongated. Healthy eating and monitoring your salt intake is also very important part of kidney protection.
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