Be informed about kidney disease to preserve & protect your kidneys- and when you have learned, help to educate others! Education helps save kidneys and lives! Many people do not know the things that can harm their kidneys. Knowing/being informed and educating others will help us make choices that preserve kidney health and increase awareness of Kidney Disease and in so doing, save lives.
The burden of disease in the US population is significant with more than 37 million adults being affected by chronic kidney disease with an overall awareness of only 10%. This incredible burden of kidney disease and low awareness are important reasons to be informed about kidney disease to preserve & protect your kidneys. People of African descent are disproportionately affected: 3.4X compared to Caucasians.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Diabetes mellitus affects 37 million people in the US, prediabetes affects 96 million people and Hypertension affects approximately 116 million adults in the US which is an astounding 47% of the adult population. The correlation between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the statistics is sobering: approximately 30% of people with diabetes have chronic kidney disease and approximately 20% of those with hypertension according the The National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Children are also significantly affected by kidney disease by an adjusted incidence of end stage renal disease of 11.5 per million population (pmp). However children are also adversely affected by acute kidney injury at incidence rates of up to 34% in children admitted to hospital and higher in critically ill children admitted to intensive care units. They are also significantly affected indirectly when caregivers are diagnosed with chronic disease with ensuing morbidity, needs for dialysis and possible mortality. The benefits of educating children are therefore manifold.
Few people are aware of the causes of kidney disease, and many people do not know that seemingly benign things like prolonged use of Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen) and similar medications can cause kidney damage or even kidney failure.
To be informed about kidney disease to preserve & protect your kidneys: You must know the causes of Kidney Disease
To be informed about kidney disease to preserve & protect your kidneys: You must know the causes of Kidney Disease as that knowledge will empower you to detect your own risks.
The leading causes of kidney disease in our population are:
- Diabetes and
- Hypertension in that order.
Other causes include kidney cysts, kidney stones, inflammation of the kidneys, obstruction of kidney stones, severe acute damage that does not fully recover or in more technical terms: (some overlaps exist)
- Primary and secondary glomerular diseases
- Cystic diseases
- Hereditary kidney diseases including cystic diseases like Autosomal dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)
- Tubulointerstitial disease
- Vascular Diseases
- Obstructive uropathy
- Sequelae of acute kidney injury (AKI)
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is sudden damage of the kidneys over a short period of time. It is very prevalent with an incidence of approximately 20% in hospitalized patients. It is accompanied by a significant risk of death in some cases. Medications play a significant role in the incidence AKI, incidence of CKD, the progression and the slowing of kidney disease. AKI and CKD can be prevented in some cases. The incidence of AKI was observed to have increased in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore the current statistics concerning kidney disease promise to significantly change due to this unprecedented pandemic of epic proportions and its sequelae. Visit our other pages to learn more!
Causes of AKI (in simple terms) include
- Some Medications
- Some Infections
- Uncontrolled Hypertension
- Obstruction of urine flow by kidney stones, an enlarged prostate, clots etc
Our kidney art and posters, including the ones on this page are all produced in collaboration with Happy Ingenuity Solutions with the goal of increasing awareness of kidney disease, protecting kidneys, and increasing access to helpful information that promotes good health. You can share digital copies for free and if you want to purchase the related wall art, posters and other related accessories, you will help fund our cause to fight kidney disease through education and increasing awareness. Click here to buy our kidney art, other kidney health posters and other beautiful kidney art!
The content on this webpage and this website is for information to help you understand kidney disease in a way that increases your awareness and helps empower you to make healthy choices. The information on this page is not medical advice and does not replace your doctor’s or medical provider’s expertise nor opinion. You must discuss all aspects of your treatment with your medical provider and follow their advice as your doctor and healthcare team possess the necessary details of your unique condition.