Kidney Diseases are Rising. Here’s How to Help Lower Your Risk

There’s been an uptick in kidney cancer media attention since 46-year-old Brad Arnold, lead singer for the rock band 3 Doors Down, was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. Kidney cancer, along with other kidney diseases, is a major public health concern. While these conditions affect a small percentage of the population, the number of cases is increasing.

Currently, about one in seven American adults has chronic kidney disease, but 90 percent of them are undiagnosed, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Symptoms of most kidney diseases, including kidney cancer, are so mild that they go unnoticed until they’re in an advanced stage often requiring dialysis, a kidney transplant or a more complex cancer treatment plan. In fact, most kidney cancer cases are found during treatment for other conditions such as kidney stones or back pain, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center.

But you can take a proactive approach to kidney health, which can help lower your risk of kidney disease. Here’s what you need to know about keeping your kidneys healthy.  

Understanding Your Kidneys  

Most people are born with two kidneys, but you can live with one. They’re positioned in the back of the abdomen where they:  

• Filter blood and fluids  
• Remove waste and excess fluid  
• Help make red blood cells  
• Balance nutrients  
• Maintain blood pressure
• Contribute to healthy bones  

Poorly functioning kidneys lead to kidney failure, high blood pressure, heart disease, life-threateningly high potassium levels in the blood, nerve damage, anemia, mineral bone disorder and osteoporosis.  

Potential Causes of Poorly Functioning Kidneys  

There are a handful of risk factors for kidney disease, kidney failure and kidney cancer. Some are uncontrollable like genes, personal health history, family history, being male and being older than 60. But some risk factors can be managed, helping you lower your chances of developing a kidney condition. These include:  

• High blood pressure – narrows blood vessels, restricting flow of oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood to the kidneys, which can damage the kidneys.  
• Diabetes – involves high blood sugar, which is notorious for damaging blood vessels, impeding blood flow to the kidneys. Consequently, a limited amount of oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the kidneys which can injure kidney tissue. The kidneys also become less efficient at filtering waste products and removing excess fluid. Reduced blood flow also raises blood pressure.  
• Obesity – forces the kidneys to work harder. The condition also increases the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure.  
• Lupus (and other autoimmune conditions)– triggers the immune system to make autoantibodies, a specific type of protein that attacks organs and tissues, including the kidneys. When this occurs, the kidneys become inflamed, affecting the portion of the kidneys responsible for filtering waste. This can lead to blood in urine (a sign of infection), protein in urine (a sign of declining kidney function), high blood pressure, poorly working kidneys and kidney failure, according to the Mayo Clinic. Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (another autoimmune disease) are often treated with steroid medications, raising the risk for infections, including urinary tract infections (UTI). UTIs can damage kidneys if they’re not treated and/or recurrent. Additionally, inflammatory bowel diseases or IBD (autoimmune diseases that include Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis) cause gut microbiome changes that can cause renal failure; IBD also is associated with kidney cancer.  
• Unhealthy cholesterol levels – are linked to kidney disease. A higher-than-normal total cholesterol level and/or lower-than-normal good cholesterol (HDL) level can cause cholesterol plaque to buildup along the arterial walls, narrowing them and constricting blood flow to the kidneys. There’s also a connection between unhealthy cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.    
• Kidney stones – can be problematic if they don’t pass properly, increasing the likelihood of kidney disease. Men with a history of kidney stones also are at higher risk for kidney cancer, but not women.  
• Gout – occurs when uric acid accumulates in the blood, the results of the body producing too much uric acid and/or the kidneys inability to add enough uric acid to urine. If your uric acid level is high, your doctor may suggest that you get checked for gout and kidney disease; you may have one of the conditions or even both. Having both conditions raises the risk of kidney cancer, particularly if your kidney disease is a complication of diabetes.  

Keeping Your Kidneys Healthy  

The best way to stave off kidney conditions is to prevent and control conditions that take a toll on the kidneys. Additionally, you can implement a kidney-friendly lifestyle. For instance, you can:  

Avoid tobacco. The chemicals in cigarettes raise your risk for cancer and damage the heart and blood vessels, compromising blood flow to the kidneys. Smoking also contributes to high blood pressure and interferes with blood pressure medications. If you are using tobacco products, talk to your MDVIP-affiliated physician. They may prescribe nicotine replacement therapy, recommend a cessation program, refer you to a specialist or guide you through quitting cold turkey.    

Limit alcohol. Alcohol impairs the kidneys’ ability to filter blood, making the kidneys work harder. It causes the kidneys to remove fluids quicker than other beverages, leading to dehydration. Heavy drinking doesn’t have a link to kidney cancer, but it can double the risk of kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation.  

Enjoy your coffee. A cup of coffee a day may lower the risk of kidney injury, according to a study published in Kidney International Reports. And coffee drinkers may have a lower risk for kidney cancer, according to a meta-analysis published in Cancer Causes & Control.

Don’t overuse over-the-counter pain relievers or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). They reduce blood flow through the kidneys and can damage kidneys or exacerbate chronic kidney disease with prolonged use, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Meanwhile, regular NSAID usage was shown to lower the risk of developing renal cell (kidney) cancer but raise the risk of death from kidney cancer if you’ve been diagnosed with it.      

Watch your salt consumption. Sodium is an essential nutrient, but consuming too much makes the kidneys work hard, causes water retention and raises blood pressure – a risk for both kidney disease and kidney cancer. A high sodium diet has been shown to increase the amount of protein in urine -- an early sign of kidney damage.    

Eat a kidney friendly diet. The DASH diet, developed to control blood pressure, can help maintain kidney health. The plan encourages lean protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates while limiting salt, sugar and unhealthy fats.   Make sure you’re eating an appropriate amount of protein. Over the last decade there’s been a lot of hype around high-protein diets, but too much protein can strain the kidneys by causing renal hypertension (high blood caused by the narrowing of arteries that carry blood to the kidneys) and elevate protein levels in urine.  

Exercise. Regular exercise is an important component of kidney health because it helps control weight, blood sugar and blood pressure; maintain healthy cholesterol levels and prevent kidney stones.  

Recognize Symptoms  

Recognizing the early signs and symptoms of kidney disease and kidney cancer isn’t easy but is important. Earlier diagnoses can lead to quicker treatment and better outcomes. Signs and symptoms include:  

• Unexplained weight loss  
• Loss of appetite  
• Fatigue, lethargy, poor concentration  
• Changes in urine, e.g., blood in urine, foamy urine  
• Shortness of breath  
• Frequent urination, especially at night  
• Swollen ankles, feet or hands  
• Disordered sleep  
• Headaches  
• General malaise  
• Muscle cramps  
• Erectile dysfunction (men)  
• Dry, itchy skin  
• Puffy eyes  
• Back or side pain that doesn’t go away  

Most importantly, develop a strong relationship with your primary care physician. This is one reason why MDVIP-affiliated practices are much smaller than traditional primary care practices. Unhurried visits enable doctors to get to know you and your health history.  

The MDVIP Wellness Program also includes screenings that may help detect kidney issues including urinalysis, blood pressure, sexual health, diet/nutrition, diabetes, sleep, respiratory health and weight management/body composition. Your MDVIP-affiliated physician can use the results from these screenings to develop a personalized wellness program for you and refer you to specialists as needed.  

If you don’t have a primary care physician, consider partnering with an MDVIP-affiliated physician. MDVIP doctors have the time to work with you and develop a wellness plan that can help you live a kidney friendly lifestyle. Contact us to begin your partnered health journey

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