Chronic Kidney Disease
Healthy kidneys work primarily to clean the blood of wastes produced through food intake and metabolic function. Blood travels from the heart to the kidneys for a “cleansing” process. Millions of tiny filters in the kidneys remove extra fluid and unwanted waste and toxins from the body, which are excreted through the kidneys in the form of urine. Healthy kidneys also balance important minerals and chemicals in the body like sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. They also produce hormones that help the body regulate blood pressure, produce red blood cells and promote strong bones.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Chronic kidney disease is defined as having some type of kidney abnormality or marker, such as protein in the urine, and having decreased kidney function for three months or longer. If kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build to high levels in your blood and make you feel sick. You may develop complications like high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Also, kidney disease increases your risk of having heart and cardiovascular disease. These problems may happen slowly, over an extended period. Early detection and treatment can often keep chronic kidney disease from getting worse.
