How do I know if I am at risk of Chronic Kidney Disease?

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is the worsening of kidney function that is permanent and usually happens gradually over a long period of time. It is a costly, progressive and non-transmissable disease that is closely linked to other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM).

 Chronic Kidney Disease can appear suddenly or develop slowly and gradually to the point where patients end up entirely losing kidney function, requiring replacement therapy: such as dialysis or kidney transplant.

It is also VERY important to keep in mind that this is a silent disease and it does not cause many symptoms, therefore specific laboratory tests are required(blood or urine) to rule it out. Patients often seek help too late and this is why they are given a late diagnosis.

Detection of the disease can be easily established through blood creatinine and urine testing.

The main causes of Chronic Kidney Disease are arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus. These patients  should therefore  undergo  periodic assessments so they can detect worsening  kidney function  early on; this is why they should undergo regular testing and keep their kidney function tests up-to-date, so they can stay aware of the possible start of kidney failure.

One of the  general consequences of kidney damage  is impact on other organs, such as: the heart, skeletal system and other hormone functions that are affected. They manifest in conditions such as hypertension, anemia, skin disorders and bone fractures.

According to the Fondo Colombiano de Enfermedades de Alto Costo [Colombian High-Cost Disease Fund], there are approximately 1,200,000 people in Colombia who suffer from this disease.

Lifestyles:

Sedentary tendency, self-medication and use of illegal drugs are predisposing factors for CKD.

If you responded “Yes” to most of the questions, you should see a doctor for an evaluation of your kidneys. If Chronic Kidney Disease is detected in time, many complications can be avoided.

At RCS, we take care of our patients and their close friends and family members. This is why we want to help you  identify if the symptoms that you are experiencing are related or not to Chronic Kidney Disease.

Remember that there is always time for prevention. Currently, most therapy is focused on prevention. Since the consequences are so complicated and patient treatment is so costly, avoiding kidney failure is the smartest option. With a healthy lifestyle and good diet, you will be able to enjoy better quality of life.

If you are physically active, you follow a low-salt diet and you do not eat canned foods or foods with a large amount of preservatives, you can avoid arterial hypertension and diabetes, which affects almost 60% of people with chronic kidney failure.