Mild-to-moderate Chronic Kidney Disease

High blood pressure is one of common symptoms in CKD patients,Now let us learn more about Mild-to-moderate chronic kidney disease.

If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD) then your kidneys are not working as well as they once did. Various conditions can cause CKD. Severity can vary but most cases are: mild or moderate, occur in older people, do not cause symptoms and do not progress to kidney failure. People with any stage of CKD have an increased risk of developing heart disease or a stroke. This is why it is important to detect even mild CKD, as treatment may not only slow down the progression of the disease, but also reduces the risk of developing heart disease or stroke. This leaflet is for people who have been diagnosed with mild-to-moderate CKD (stage 1, 2 or 3 CKD). A separate leaflet in this series, called Chronic Kidney Disease, is more appropriate if you have more severe CKD (stage 4 or 5 CKD).

Understanding the kidneys and urine

The two kidneys lie to the sides of the upper part of the tummy (abdomen), behind the intestines, and either side of the spine. Each kidney is about the size of a large orange, but bean-shaped.
A large artery - the renal artery - takes blood to each kidney. The artery divides into many tiny blood vessels (capillaries) throughout the kidney. In the outer part of the kidneys, tiny blood vessels cluster together to form structures called glomeruli.
Each glomerulus is like a filter. The structure of the glomerulus allows waste products and some water and salt to pass from the blood into a tiny channel called a tubule. The liquid that remains at the end of each tubule is called urine. The urine then passes down a tube called a ureter which goes from each kidney to the bladder. Urine is stored in the bladder until it is passed out when we go to the toilet.
The main functions of the kidneys are to:
Filter out waste products from the bloodstream, to be passed out in the urine.
Help control blood pressure - partly by the amount of water passed out of the body as urine and partly by making hormones which are involved in blood pressure control.
Make a hormone called erythropoietin (epo) which stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells. This is needed to prevent anaemia.
Help keep various salts and chemicals in the blood at the right level.
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What is chronic kidney disease?

CKD means that your kidneys are affected in some way. As a result, your kidneys may not work as well as they used to. A whole range of conditions can cause CKD (see later).
Some terms explained:
Chronic means ongoing (persistent or long-term). It does not mean severe as some people think. You can have a mild chronic disease. Many people have mild CKD.
Renal means relating to the kidney.
Chronic renal failure is a term that is sometimes used but means much the same as CKD. CKD is a better term, as the word failure implies that the kidneys have totally stopped working. In most cases of CKD this is not so. In most people who have CKD there is only a mild or moderate reduction in kidney function, which usually does not cause symptoms, and the kidneys have not failed.
How is chronic kidney disease diagnosed?
A simple blood test can estimate the volume of blood that is filtered by the glomeruli in your kidneys over a given period of time. This test is called the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). A normal eGFR is 90 ml/min/1.73 m or more. If some of the glomeruli (the tiny filters in the kidneys) do not filter as much as normal, then the kidney is said to have reduced or impaired kidney function.
CKD is diagnosed by the eGFR and other factors, and is divided into five stages:
Stage of Chronic Kidney DiseaseeGFR ml/min/1.73 m
Stage 1: the eGFR shows normal kidney function but you are already known to have some kidney damage or disease. For example, you may have some protein or blood in your urine, an abnormality of your kidney, kidney inflammation, etc.90 or more
Stage 2: mildly reduced kidney function AND you are already known to have some kidney damage or disease. People with an eGFR of 60-89 without any known kidney damage or disease are not considered to have chronic kidney disease (CKD).60 to 89
Stage 3: moderately reduced kidney function. (With or without a known kidney disease. For example, an elderly person with ageing kidneys may have reduced kidney function without a specific known kidney disease.)45 to 59 (3A)
30 to 44 (3B)
Stage 4: severely reduced kidney function. (With or without known kidney disease.)15 to 29
Stage 5: very severely reduced kidney function. This is sometimes called end-stage kidney failure or established renal failure.Less than 15
Who has the estimated glomerular filtration rate test?
The eGFR blood test is commonly done as a routine part of monitoring people with kidney diseases or with conditions that can affect the kidneys, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. It is also often done as a routine test in many medical situations. If you are found to have CKD then the eGFR test is usually done at regular intervals to monitor your kidney function.

How common is chronic kidney disease?

About 1 in 10 people have some degree of CKD. It can develop at any age and various conditions can lead to CKD. It becomes more common with increasing age and is more common in women.
Although about half of people aged 75 or more have some degree of CKD, most of these people do not actually have diseases of their kidneys; they have normal ageing of their kidneys. Most cases of CKD are mild or moderate (stages 1-3).

What causes chronic kidney disease?

A number of conditions can cause permanent damage to the kidneys and/or affect the function of the kidneys and lead to CKD. Three common causes in the UK, which probably account for about 3 in 4 cases of CKD in adults, are:
Diabetes. Diabetic kidney disease is a common complication of diabetes.
High blood pressure. Untreated or poorly treated high blood pressure is a major cause of CKD. However, CKD can also cause high blood pressure, as the kidney has a role in blood pressure regulation. About nine out of ten people with CKD stages 3-5 have high blood pressure.
Ageing kidneys. There appears to be an age-related decline in kidney function. About half of people aged 75 or more have some degree of CKD. In most of these cases the CKD does not progress beyond the moderate stage unless other problems of the kidney develop, such as diabetic kidney disease.
There are various other less common conditions that can cause CKD.

Treatments

Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy is a treatment option for kidney disease patients who still have urine output. It is highly recommended as it has been proven to be able to improve kidney function.

Have any questions?send me an email kidney-treatment@hotmail.com .