The American Kidney Fund wants to help you Know Your Kidneys. Here are four factors that could mean you are at a higher risk of developing kidney disease.
Dr. Pranav Garimella
Chief Medical Officer, American Kidney Fund
One out of every seven Americans has kidney disease, and millions more are at risk. Since symptoms of kidney disease don’t appear until the disease is quite advanced, nearly 90% of people with it don’t know they have it.
It’s important to know how well your kidneys are working and if you are at risk for developing kidney disease. At your next appointment, ask about two simple tests (blood and urine) to check for kidney disease. Early detection is key to preventing kidney disease from advancing to kidney failure, for which dialysis or kidney transplantation are the only treatments. The American Kidney Fund’s Know Your Kidneys® program helps people understand their current kidney function, their risk of developing kidney disease, and steps toward better kidney health.
Here are four common risk factors for kidney disease:
- Diabetes. Nearly 1 in 3 adults with diabetes has kidney disease. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, keep your blood sugar under control to prevent long-term kidney damage.
- High blood pressure. This can be both a cause and result of kidney disease. Keeping your blood pressure under control with lifestyle changes and/or medicine can help improve your kidney health.
- Family history/inherited diseases. You may be more likely to get kidney disease if a close relative has kidney disease. In this case, consider asking your healthcare team about genetic testing. If you have kidney disease, knowing the cause can help ensure you get the right treatment and help you understand if there is a risk of future generations being affected.
- Race/ethnicity. People who are Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, and Asian American have a higher chance of having kidney failure than their white counterparts.
