CARING FOR YOUR KIDNEYS

Blood passes through tiny filters in both kidneys. In a recent study it was found that more than two-thirds of the people with severe kidney disease never received care from a kidney specialist. Another clinical study noted that the aggressive use of the drug darbepoetimetin alfa (Aranesp) to combat anemia in kidney patients with type 2 diabetes increased the risk of strokes. Stents have been widely used to open narrow kidney arteries but may not be worth the risk.

These filters sort substances the body needs – like calcium, sodium and water – separating them from wastes and excess fluid or urine. Kidneys also produce hormones that help regulate blood pressure and the production of red blood cells.

With advancing age, kidneys may shrink and lose their filtering capacity. They become more susceptible to damage from diabetes and high blood pressure. Forty-four percent of severe cases are caused by diabetes and 27 percent by hypertension, according to a study published in January 2010, in the New England Journal of Medicine. The loss of filtering capacity can cause anemia, bone disease, worsening high blood pressure and clogged and damaged arteries. Heart disease is a major killer of people with chronic kidney problems, in fact, they’re more likely to die from heart problems than ultimate failure of the kidneys.

A lady in our local Quilting group told us this morning that her son has just received word from the Vancouver General Hospital that her son is doing well after receiving a kidney from his daughter who is the mother of his two small grandchildren.

Symptoms of kidney disease aren’t always specific. It can cause insomnia, a poor appetite, upset stomach, and weakness until the organs have lost their filtering capacity. Once a year to three years it is appropriate for people with diabetes or high blood pressure or relatives with kidney failure t take a blood sample to measure levels of creatinine, a waste product in your blood that comes from muscle metabolism.