Kidney disease is primarily caused by complications from diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also be caused by kidney stones and urinary tract infections and it can be hereditary. In patients with kidney disease, the function of the kidneys decreases eventually resulting in kidney failure, a life-threatening condition where toxic wastes and fluids build up in the body. There is no cure and only two treatments. Patients need dialysis treatments to clean their blood, or a kidney transplant.

Kidney Health - What you should know.... You can lose most of their kidney function before feeling sick - and by then it's too late. There is no cure. Dialysis or a transplant are the only options once your kidneys fail. If you ticked one or more of these risk factors - you are at increased risk and should ask your doctor for a kidney health check.

Knowing the symptoms of kidney disease can help people detect it early enough to get treatment. Symptoms can include: x2022; Changes in urination-making more or less urine than usual, feeling pressure when urinating, changes in the color of urine, foamy or bubbly urine, or having to get up at night to urinate. x2022; Swelling of the feet, ankles, hands, or face-fluid the kidneys can't remove may stay in the tissues.

Kidney disease can be found through lab tests or by symptoms. High blood levels of creatinine and urea nitrogen (BUN) or high levels of protein in your urine suggest kidney disease. Diabetics should have a yearly urine test for microalbumin, small amounts of protein that don't show up on a standard urine protein test.

No. Kidney disease is not contagious. You cannot catch it from someone. Most kidney disease is caused by diabetes and high blood pressure, conditions that can run in families. If you are a family member of someone who has diabetes, high blood pressure, or kidney disease, it is a good idea to ask your doctor to check your blood pressure and kidney function at your checkup.

Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney disease, responsible for about 40% of all kidney failure. High blood pressure is the number two cause, responsible for about 25%. Another form of kidney disease is glomerulonephritis, a general term for many types of kidney inflammation. Genetic diseases, autoimmune diseases, birth defects, and other problems can also cause kidney disease.

Having chronic kidney disease means that for some time your kidneys have not been working the way they should. Your kidneys have the important job of filtering your blood. They remove waste products and extra fluid and flush them from your body as urine. When your kidneys do not work right, wastes build up in your blood and make you sick. Chronic kidney disease may seem to have come on suddenly. But it has been happening bit by bit for many years as a result of damage to your kidneys.

Chronic kidney disease is caused by damage to the kidneys. By far the most common causes of this damage are: Kidney diseases and infections, such as polycystic kidney disease, pyelonephritis, and glomerulonephritis, or a kidney problem you were born with. Long-term use of medicines that can damage the kidneys. Examples include pain medicines, like acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) and ibuprofen (such as Advil), and certain antibiotics.

Your doctor will do blood and urine tests to help find out how well your kidneys are working. These tests can show signs of kidney disease and anemia. (You can get anemia from having damaged kidneys.) You may have other tests to help rule out other problems that could cause your symptoms. Your doctor will ask questions about any past kidney problems, whether you have a family history of kidney disease, and what medicines you take—both prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

In some cases of sudden or acute kidney failure, dialysis may only be needed for a short time until the kidneys get better. However, when chronic kidney disease progresses to kidney failure over time, your kidneys do not get better and you will need dialysis for the rest of your life unless you are able to receive a kidney transplant. Back to top

There are lots of ways to keep fit when you have kidney failure. Some people find strenuous sport or activities too tiring so enjoy exercises such as walking, yoga and Tai Chi. Others throw themselves enthusiastically into fitness programs and compete nationally and internationally in the Transplant Games. Some contact sports need to be avoided, particularly after a transplant. If you are on peritoneal dialysis, you need to protect your catheter while exercising.

Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney failure; diabetes accounts for approximately one third of new cases of chronic kidney failure in the United States each year. Uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure is the second leading cause of chronic kidney failure in the United States; it accounts for about 30 percent of all cases.

A creatinine blood test greater than 1.2 for women and 1.4 for men. (Creatinine is a waste product removed from the blood by healthy kidneys. In kidney diseases, creatinine levels in the blood may increase. Creatinine levels vary with age, race and body size. A lower value may be a sign of kidney disease in children)

More than 20 million Americans have diseases of the kidney and urinary tract. More than 90,000 die each year because of these diseases. About 200,000 Americans suffer from chronic kidney failure and need dialysis to stay alive. In addition, experts estimate that by the year 2010, the number of new people diagnosed with chronic kidney disease is expected to double.

There are many ways to help delay or prevent kidney failure, especially when CKD is diagnosed in the mild to moderate stages. These include: x2022; Keep your blood pressure at 125/75 or lower if you have diabetes and/or protein in your urine. Two types of blood pressure medication slow the action of angiotensin, a substance that may contribute to kidney disease progression.

this time, it has not been proven that medical intervention can physiologically reverse nephron damage. However, by catching the disease in an early stage, the veterinarian has the ability to prevent further damage and arrest disease progression.

When kidney function falls below a certain point, it is called kidney failure. Kidney failure affects your whole body. It can cause serious heart, bone, and brain problems and make you feel very ill. Once you have kidney failure, you will probably have two choices: start dialysis or get a new kidney (transplant). Both of these treatments have risks and benefits. Talk with your doctor to decide which would be best for you.

NO. Recent research has found that fluoridated water can contribute to the development of painful bone disorders in people with advanced kidney disease.

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Asking questions and getting them answered—by a healthcare professional or in a book or other reliable source—is a key part of doing well with any chronic disease. Ask your healthcare team to teach you about your condition and to give you any information they have. Never feel shy about coming to a clinic visit with a list of questions—and write down the answers.

Greyhounds are known to have "normal" athletic or physiologic flow murmurs. These murmurs are mild in nature (grade 1 or 2 out of 6) and are heard best over the left base of the heart (high in the armpit). Thoracic radiographs (X-rays) and/or echocardiography (ultrasound) will help determine the actual status of the heart. For more information, please read the following article:

The effect of ruboxistaurin on nephropathy in type 2 diabetes, by K.R. Tuttle and colleagues. Diabetes Care 28:2686-2690, 2005.

Many people think that if their kidneys fail, they will die immediately. This used to be true 40 years ago when there were not enough dialysis machines to go around and medical knowledge about kidney disease was limited. It is no longer true today. How long you can live with CKD depends on your age, other health problems, and how involved you become in your care. Some people with early CKD never have kidney failure.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a fatal disease if not treated. The options for treatment once CKD is established are the same, regardless of cause. More

In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, you do not need dialysis. These stages can last for many years. But if your kidneys fail, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to keep you alive.