Kidney disease check

Kidney disease check

The kidneys are essential organs with several functions, including maintaining the body’s salt and water balance and acid–base balance, and regulating blood pressure. They also filter the blood, and remove wastes such as urea, excreting them via our urine.

Chronic kidney disease can lead to kidney failure, as well as high blood pressure and all its consequences; it is also a risk factor for CVD. End-stage kidney disease is a serious health problem that requires dialysis (or similar) or kidney transplantation for survival.

More than 2000 Australians start dialysis every year, and the rates are rising, largely because the rates of diabetes are rising. Besides chronic kidney diseases causing hypertension (high blood pressure) and being a risk factor for CVD, both hypertension and CVD are risk factors for chronic kidney disease, as they compromise the blood flow through and functioning of the kidneys.

Risk factors for chronic kidney disease include the risk factors for CVD, such as being an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, diabetes, hyper tension, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet. A family history of kidney disease is also a risk factor. Early detection and treatment for chronic kidney disease can halt or reduce the progression of kidney problems to end-stage kidney disease.

Routine checking usually consists of a blood pressure check, a urine check and sometimes a blood test. The urine test is to see if there is too much protein in the urine, which is one indication of kidney problems. The appearance of protein in the urine may be the first sign of an otherwise silent kidney problem. If a test indicates too much protein in your urine, your doctor is likely to repeat the test to see if it persists.

If you are at higher risk, your doctor may also order a blood test so your kidney function (glomerular filtration rate, or GFR) can be estimated.

Tests for kidney disease

All adults who are at increased risk of kidney disease, including those with hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, a family history of kidney disease or of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, should have a kidney health check consisting of a urine check and blood pressure check and sometimes a blood test every one or two years from the age of 35. If you have diabetes these checks need to start when your diabetes is diagnosed and you should have them every year.