World Hot Topics Blog
Preventing Chronic Kidney Disease
You are more likely to develop kidney disease if you have
·
diabetes
·
high
blood pressure
·
heart
disease
·
a
family history of kidney failure
What can I do to keep my kidneys healthy?
You can protect your kidneys by preventing or managing
health conditions that cause kidney damage, such as diabetes and high blood
pressure. The steps described below may help keep your whole body healthy,
including your kidneys.
During your next medical visit, you may want to ask your
health care provider about your kidney health. Early kidney disease may not
have any symptoms, so getting tested may be the only way to know your
kidneys are healthy. Your health care provider will help decide how often you
should be tested.
See a provider right away if you develop a urinary
tract infection (UTI), which can cause kidney damage if left untreated.
Make healthy food choices
Choose foods that are healthy for your heart and your entire
body: fresh fruits, fresh or frozen vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or
fat-free dairy products. Eat healthy meals, and cut back on salt and added sugars.
Aim for less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day. Try to have
less than 10 percent of your daily calories come from added sugars.
Choose foods that are
healthy for your body.
Tips for making healthy food choices
·
Cook
with a mix of spices instead of salt.
·
Choose
veggie toppings such as spinach, broccoli, and peppers for your pizza.
·
Try
baking or broiling meat, chicken, and fish instead of frying.
·
Serve
foods without gravy or added fats.
·
Try
to choose foods with little or no added sugar.
·
Gradually
work your way down from whole milk to 2 percent milk until you’re drinking and
cooking with fat-free (skim) or low-fat milk and milk products.
·
Eat
foods made from whole grains—such as whole wheat, brown rice, oats, and
whole-grain corn—every day. Use whole-grain bread for toast and sandwiches;
substitute brown rice for white rice for home-cooked meals and when dining out.
·
Read
food labels. Choose foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt
(sodium), and added sugars.
·
Slow
down at snack time. Eating a bag of low-fat popcorn takes longer than eating a
slice of cake. Peel and eat an orange instead of drinking orange juice.
·
Try
keeping a written record of what you eat for a week. It can help you see when
you tend to overeat or eat foods high in fat or calories.
Research has shown that the DASH eating plan may
help you lower your blood pressure. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure,
or heart disease, you may want to locate and work with a dietitian to
create a meal plan that meets your needs.
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Make physical activity part of your routine
Be active for 30 minutes or more on most days. If you are not
active now, ask your health care provider about the types and amounts of
physical activity that are right for you. Add more activity to your life with
these tips to help you get active.
Aim for a healthy weight
The NIH Body Weight Planner is an online tool to
help you tailor your plans to achieve and stay at a healthy weight. The Body
Weight Planner is a part of the SuperTracker ,
a free food-, physical activity-, and weight-tracking tool from
ChooseMyPlate.gov that will help you build a healthier diet, manage your
weight, and reduce your risk of chronic disease, including kidney disease.
If you are overweight or obese, work with your
health care provider or dietitian to create a realistic weight-loss plan. View
more weight control and physical activity resources to help you get
and stay motivated.
Get enough sleep
Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. If you have
trouble sleeping, take steps to improve your sleep habits .
Stop smoking
If you smoke or use other tobacco products, stop. Ask for
help so you don’t have to do it alone. You can start by calling the national
quitline at 1-800-QUITNOW or 1-800-784-8669. For tips on quitting, go to Smokefree.gov .
Limit alcohol intake
Drinking too much alcohol can increase your blood pressure
and add extra calories, which can lead to weight gain. If you drink
alcohol , limit yourself to one drink per day if you are a woman and two
drinks per day if you are a man. One drink is:
·
12
ounces of beer
·
5
ounces of wine
·
1.5
ounces of liquor
Explore stress-reducing activities
Learning how to manage stress , relax, and cope
with problems can improve emotional and physical health. Physical activity can
help reduce stress, as can mind and body practices such as meditation , yoga ,
or tai chi .
Manage diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease
If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease,
the best way to protect your kidneys from damage is to
Keep blood glucose numbers close to
your goal. Checking
your blood glucose, or blood sugar, level is an important way
to manage your diabetes. Your health care team may want you to test
your blood glucose one or more times a day.
Keep your blood pressure numbers close
to your goal. The
blood pressure goal for most people with diabetes is below 140/90 mm Hg. Read
more about high blood pressure .
Take all your medicines as prescribed. Talk with your
health care provider about certain blood pressure medicines, called ACE inhibitors and ARBs,
which may protect your kidneys. The names of these medicines end in –pril or
–sartan.
Be careful about the daily use of over-the-counter pain
medications. Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such
as ibuprofen and naproxen , can damage your
kidneys. Learn more about over-the-counter medicines and your kidneys.
To help prevent heart attacks and
stroke, keep your cholesterol levels in the target range.There are two kinds
of cholesterol in your blood: LDL and HDL. LDL or “bad” cholesterol
can build up and clog your blood vessels, which can cause a heart attack or
stroke. HDL or “good” cholesterol helps remove the “bad” cholesterol from your
blood vessels. A cholesterol test also may measure another type of blood fat
called triglycerides.
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Ask your health care provider questions
Ask your health care provider the following key questions
about your kidney health during your next medical visit. The sooner you know
you have kidney disease, the sooner you can get treatment to help protect your
kidneys.
Key questions for your health care
provider:
·
What
is my glomerular filtration rate (GFR)?
·
What
is my urine albumin result?
·
What
is my blood pressure?
·
What
is my blood glucose (for people with diabetes)?
·
How
often should I get my kidneys checked?
Other important questions:
·
What
should I do to keep my kidneys healthy?
·
Do
I need to be taking different medicines?
·
Should
I be more physically active?
·
What
kind of physical activity can I do?
·
What
can I eat?
·
Am
I at a healthy weight?
·
Do
I need to talk with a dietitian to get help with meal planning?
·
Should
I be taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs for my kidneys?
·
What
happens if I have kidney disease?
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