Do your kidneys ever die, independently of the rest of your body? Yes, and it happens frequently. It is estimated that 26 million people in America have kidneys which are dying (or chronic kidney failure). This is almost 13% of all Americans. This number represents a significant increase over the past 10 years. It is anticipated that the number of people with diseased kidneys will continue to rise in the future: The data system predicts that by 2020 nearly 785,000 people will be receiving treatment for kidney failure, costing $53.6 billion.
Why the increase? The rising number of people becoming Diabetics is the number one reason, along with obesity, high blood pressure, and just people getting older. The amazing part is that most people don’t even realize that their kidneys are sick, and in need of help, until they are dead.
This delay in recognizing symptoms is because there are no symptoms until it is too late. Diagnosis however is easy. A simple blood test can tell the doctor how your kidneys are doing, and should be part of every annual visit; especially if you have hypertension, diabetes, over the age of 65, or overweight. Not having this simple diagnostic aid means that millions of Americans are awaiting transplant, on dialysis, or already dead. Additionally, diseased kidneys significantly increase the risk of stroke, anemia, bone disease and malnutrition. Not exactly a fun future!
What can you do? Educate yourself. Learn about diagnostic tools which are available. Be a partner with your doctor. Many things can be done to prevent your kidneys from failing. Don’t be part of the large American group who are unaware until it is too late.
JCoresh et al. "Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States," "Journal of the American Medical Association", November 7, 2007; 298(17):2
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