Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is long-term impairment of kidney function.

The kidneys work just like a coffee filter. They remove toxins from the blood. Toxins leave the body through the urine.

What happens when they don’t work?

Toxins that are normally removed by the kidneys build up in the blood, making you sick and causing other organs to work poorly.

How does my doctor know I have CKD?

Creatinine is a chemical made by the body and removed by the kidney. Your doctor measures creatinine to check your kidney function. High creatinine in blood means your kidneys are not working as they should.

What increases my chances of CKD?

• High blood sugar (diabetes)
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Obesity

*Treating these risk factors helps prevent kidney damage from worsening.

Normally, we lose about 1% of our kidney function each year. This is a normal part of aging. CKD causes this aging process to happen faster than normal.

“You may be 40 years old on the outside, but your kidneys are working as if they were 80 years old.”

What happens during CKD?

• The ability of the kidney to filter toxins out of your body declines.
• The kidney, which works like a coffee filter, begins to develop holes and doesn’t work as well.

These holes allow proteins to leak through and this causes the damage to progress faster.

What are long-term complications of CKD?

• Anemia (low iron levels)
• High potassium in the blood
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Kidney failure needing dialysis (filtering the blood three times weekly to remove toxins)

What is the goal of treatment?

Slow the loss of kidney function

What can you do?

1.Exercise: 30 minutes five times per week. Walking is a great way to start.

2.Diet: Choose foods which are lower in potassium.

3. Habits: Quit or cut down smoking. Even 1 less a week is a big deal!

4. Medications: Avoid taking

• Aleve (Naproxen)
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)

What will my healthcare provider do?

Your doctor will work with you to treat diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure that can worsen your CKD.

Your doctor will also help you make lifestyle changes to limit further damage to your kidneys.