CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD)

ABOUT CKD

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a long term condition that develops over time. It means that your kidneys aren’t able to work as well as they used to. Around 1 in 10 people get it and most people do not have any symptoms and do not need specialist help or advice.

CAUSES OF CKD

There are lots of causes of CKD. These commonly include:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Over the age of 60
• Smoking
• Heart disease/heart failure
• Kidneys infections or inflammation
• Blockages of the kidneys such as kidney stones or an enlarged prostate

DIAGNOSIS AND MONITORING

CKD is diagnosed using blood and urine tests. The results of these tests tell us which stage of kidney disease you have. We monitor people with kidney disease stages 3-5. Stage 3 is mild whereas stage 5 is severe. Monitoring involves checking blood pressure, blood and urine tests annually. You will be automatically invited in for these.

TREATMENT

Treatment is aimed at protecting your kidneys and lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease (having a heart attack or a stroke). This includes healthy lifestyle changes and can include medication to control blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol. Statins are the drug that controls cholesterol. Even if you do not have high cholesterol, when you have CKD a statin can reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOURSELF

• Stop smoking
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight
• Reduce the amount of salt in your diet

If you have further questions please see the links below for more advice:

Kidney Care UK

Health eating for people with CKD (National Kidney Federation)

National Kidney Foundation