Your kidneys help filter waste, excess fluid, and electrolytes out of your blood. They also help control your body’sbody’s salt and potassium levels.
Kidney failure is when the kidneys no longer work as well. It is more common in older people but can affect anyone. It is linked to high blood pressure and diabetes.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body does not make enough insulin or cannot use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps move sugar (glucose) from the blood into cells to be used for energy.
When the sugar in the blood gets too high, it can damage your kidneys. This is also called chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD usually develops slowly, with few symptoms, and can lead to serious health problems such as dialysis or a kidney transplant.
People with diabetes are at risk for developing kidney failure because of the effects of high blood sugar on their bodies. Keeping your blood sugar levels in a normal range, and getting regular tests, can help prevent or delay kidney failure.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is when the force of blood pushing through your arteries is consistently too high. Narrowing blood vessels (usually caused by the buildup of fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries) create more resistance for blood, raising your blood pressure.
Your kidneys depend on a healthy circulatory system to filter waste products and extra fluid out of your blood. When your blood flow to these organs is reduced, they can’t get the oxygen and nutrients they need to work well.
In some cases, high blood pressure can damage the tiny blood vessels inside your kidneys that filter blood. This can reduce the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the kidney tissue and increase your risk of developing chronic kidney disease.
Early CKD can be hard to detect, so managing your blood pressure carefully is important. This can be done through diet and taking medicines such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, which lower blood pressure and stop protein loss in the urine.
Obesity
Obesity is a major risk factor for kidney failure, especially for people with diabetes and high blood pressure. Even if you have a normal body weight, obesity can still cause kidney problems by increasing sodium retention and making it harder for your body to remove extra sugars from your blood.
Kidney failure can be a serious health problem that can lead to dialysis or a kidney transplant. It is a common condition that causes damage to your kidneys and other parts of your body.
A healthy diet, exercise, and medication can help prevent obesity and its related health problems. But when it is already present, you need to know how it affects your kidneys.
The link between obesity and kidney disease is complex and involves multiple factors. These include your weight, family history, diet, hormones, medications, and more.
In the case of diabetes, insulin resistance is a key culprit in obesity and kidney disease, and it can lead to long-term damage to your kidneys. Excess fat also can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.
It can also affect your liver, which filters your blood and helps regulate your hormones. In some cases, excess fat can even lead to fatty liver disease.
Smoking
Smoking is one of the most common risk factors for kidney failure and can worsen existing kidney damage. You can do several things to lower your risk for kidney failure, including quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating right.
The effects of smoking on kidney function are not fully understood, but some studies show that smokers have lower kidney function than non-smokers. Some of these effects are due to nicotine, which can cause a rise in blood pressure and decrease kidney blood flow.
It also increases the amount of protein in the urine. This proteinuria can lead to kidney disease and other health problems.
Smokers who quit smoking are often able to reduce their kidney failure risk and lower their systolic and diastolic blood pressures. However, it is important to continue to exercise regularly and eat healthy foods to maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent kidney problems.
Family History
Your family history can affect your risk of developing kidney disease. This can result from genetic or environmental factors, such as smoking. Some types of glomerulonephritis run in families, and people with more than one family member with kidney disease are more likely to develop it.
Your doctor can use your family history to help predict whether you will get kidney disease or another chronic illness. They can also recommend certain tests or treatments to lower your risk or give you information on managing it.
Getting the right tests and treatment can help you get better and live longer, especially if you have a family history of these diseases. For instance, you may need to know when your family members were diagnosed with cancer or other illnesses, what age they started to have problems, and if there were any environmental or lifestyle changes you can make to prevent disease. You also need to find out what causes these health problems, such as if they are overweight or smoked.
A family history can also tell you if a specific gene is linked to a disease or condition, such as sickle cell anemia or colon cancer. Knowing this information can help you make choices about your diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits that can reduce your chances of getting these diseases.
Family history has been a staple of medical practice for centuries and remains a vital source of clinical information, but it often needs to be fully utilized. Studies have found that only half of the new patients and less than a quarter of returning ones discuss it with their doctors.
