1 in 9 American Adults has Kidney Disease, and Most Don't Know It.

Patients with kidney failure must either go on dialysis or receive a new kidney through transplant.

Your doctor will use the results of three simple tests to diagnose Chronic Kidney Disease in its earliest stages.  Lifestyle changes and medication may be prescribed to prevent or delay kidney failure.  You may be referred to a nephrologist-a doctor who has advanced training in treating kidney disease.

Test #1:  Serum Creatinine

Creatinine is a waste product in your blood that comes from the normal function of your muscles.  It is usually removed from the blood by your kidneys, but when kidney function slows down, your creatinine level helps your kidney doctor assess how well your kidneys are working. 

A blood test for Serum Creatinine is used to calculate your Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), a measurement of how well the kidneys remove wastes and fluid. 

A GFR higher than 90 is considered good.  If your GFR falls below 30, your kidney doctor will speak to you about treatments for kidney failure like dialysis or kidney transplant.  A GFR below 15 indicates that you need to start one of these treatments.

Test #2:  Urine Test for Protein

A telltale sign the kidneys are in trouble is the presence of excess protein in the urine.  Healthy kidneys retain protein and excrete the body’s waste products.  But when the kidneys begin to fail, they can no longer retain the essential protein properly.        

Test #3:  Blood Pressure Measurement

Blood Pressure is the force your blood puts on the walls of your blood vessels as your heart works.  Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and damage to the blood vessels.   Your blood pressure measurement consists of two numbers that represent the pressure when your heart is beating and when it is resting between beats.

A person's blood pressure is high if it is usually over 120/80.  

To Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure:

Many people need medication or a combination of medications to control high blood pressure. One group of medications called ACE inhibitors lower blood pressure and have an added protective effect on the kidney in diabetic patients.