We usually don’t give much thought to our kidneys. Most of us take it for granted that the body’s filters will continue to function as efficiently as the paper filters in our coffeemakers.
Yet, kidney disease is the nation’s eighth-leading causing of death. And it can sneak up on you before you even realize you have it.
“Kidney disease tends to be a silent disease until it’s very advanced,” says Beth Piraino, M.D., president of the National Kidney Foundation. “It’s very much associated with an increased risk of dying, particularly from a cardiovascular cause.”
You are more than likely to get kidney disease at some point, since lifetime risk is 60 percent. And once you get it, treatment options are often limited to dialysis, which requires regular mechanical filtering of the waste products in your blood, or a kidney transplant. There is a long waiting list for organ transplants.
Alert: Doctor Reveals: Why You’re So Tired
“You can be walking around and think you’re just perfectly fine, but you could have advanced kidney disease and not know it,” Dr. Piraino tells Newsmax Health.
“Then all of a sudden somebody can say that you need to go on dialysis, which can be a bit of a shock.”
Even less-severe forms of kidney disease can lead to bone disorders, anemia, and a reduced quality of life.
Although kidney disease receives little publicity compared to other major killers, experts describe it as an “exploding” epidemic.
“Most kidney disease comes from high blood pressure and diabetes,” says Dr. Piraino. “Because so many people are overweight, obese, and even morbidly obese in the United States, we have a lot more of these problems. So we’re getting more kidney disease.”
Experts agree that the toll of kidney disease can be drastically reduced with early detection.
That’s why the National Kidney Foundation has issued a new recommendation that all Americans ages 60 and older — not just those with diabetes or hypertension — undergo annual screenings that can identify kidney disease, including early-stage disease that may be reversible.
The screening is a simple blood test that is used to estimate your “glomerular filtration rate” — or GFR. A rate of less than 60 milliliters per minute may indicate kidney disease.
In general, African-Americans have the highest risk of kidney disease, possibly because they often carry a gene that was protective against sleeping sickness in Africa but now is associated with kidney disease in North America.
If the blood test shows a low GFR, a urine test can be given to check for leakage of albumin, a protein that ordinarily does not pass through the kidneys. A measurement of at least 30 milligrams of albumin per gram may indicate kidney disease.
Alert: Doctor Reveals: Why You’re So Tired
High levels of albumin – a sign of a condition called proteinuria -- are also associated with cardiovascular disease and a more rapid progression of kidney disease.
“People don’t know they have these things unless they have the blood testing and the urine testing,” says Dr. Piraino.
If you have proteinuria and high blood pressure, it’s essential to take either an ACE inhibitor or an ARB for hypertension, she says.
“Those drugs have been shown to decrease the proteinuria and slow the progression of the kidney disease,” says Dr. Piraino.
In general, she adds, anything that protects the heart also protects the kidneys. That includes a well-balanced diet, regular physical activity, and good control of conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Kidney disease can also be prevented by:
· Cutting back on salt to 1,500 mg per day of sodium.
· Limiting alcohol.
· Losing weight if you are overweight.
· Quitting smoking.
· Reducing or eliminating over-the-counter pain relievers acetaminophen, naproxen, and ibuprofen.
The complete version of this article first appeared in Health Radar. To read more, CLICK HERE.
© 2026 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.