Kidneys are vital organs—just like the heart, lungs, and liver—yet most women don’t know how critical well-functioning kidneys are to their overall health, or that there are things they can do—or avoid doing—to help protect them and keep them working efficiently. When kidney function is jeopardized and kidney disease develops, it happens slowly with few symptoms, so many people don’t realize they have it until the disease is advanced. When caught and treated early, it’s often possible to slow or stop its progression and avoid serious complications like heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and death. Awareness of kidney disease is the first step to preventing it or slowing its progression.
Diagnosing Kidney Disease
Diabetes is the top cause of kidney failure, causing nearly half of new cases. High blood pressure is the second most common cause of kidney failure, causing 28 percent of new cases; one in five adults with high blood pressure may have kidney disease.
Kidney disease is not reversible, but it is treatable. It’s important for your annual physical exam to include a blood test to evaluate kidney function, especially if you are older than age 60 and have high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney disease, an autoimmune disease, or a history of pre-eclampsia, which are all risk factors for kidney disease.
“Early detection is the key to effective long-term management,” says Line Malha, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, Weill Cornell Medicine. Blood tests check how well kidneys are working by analyzing the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Current guidelines say that a GFR below 60 for three months indicates chronic kidney disease (CKD). “We all lose kidney function as part of natural aging, but in people with kidney disease, the kidney function decline is faster,” says Dr. Malha.
Keeping Your Kidneys Healthy
Kidneys have several important jobs: They clean your blood, help control your blood pressure, help make red blood cells, and keep your bones healthy.
Focusing on these things can help keep your kidneys in tip-top shape:
Check your blood pressure. If it’s too high, that can put stress on your kidneys.
Watch your A1C. Keep your blood sugar levels in check. If they’re not under control, that can cause problems for your kidneys over time.
Drink water. Drinking water is a great way to keep your kidneys healthy. A word of caution, however: Drinking too much water can lead to low blood sodium levels, which can cause confusion, disorientation, nausea, and vomiting. If your urine is pale yellow or clear, it’s fine. If it’s dark yellow, you probably need more water.
Don’t Overdo NSAIDs. Prolonged use of NSAIDs can potentially damage the kidneys. NSAIDs, which include common medications like ibuprofen and naproxen, can reduce blood flow to the kidneys and may cause changes in fluid and electrolyte balance, leading to kidney dysfunction or damage over time.
Drug Treatment Options
Several types of medications are used to treat kidney disease. Since diabetes and hypertension are the two top causes of kidney disease, many medications used to treat kidney disease also treat these conditions. For example, hypertension drugs also used for kidney disease include:
- ACE inhibitors, such as lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), benazepril (Lotensin), and enalapril (Vasotec)
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), such as telmisartan (Micardia) and losartan (Cozaar).
Medications originally formulated for diabetes, called SGLT2 inhibitors, including dapagliflozin (Farxiga) and empagliflozin (Jardiance), have also been approved by the FDA to help delay the worsening of CKD, and these drugs have the added benefit of lowering blood pressure. One of the newest medications approved for CKD is finerenone (Kerendia). This drug is used for treating CKD associated with type 2 diabetes. “These medications have all been shown to halt the progression of declining kidney function over time,” says Dr. Malha.
Maintaining Kidney Function
Kidney disease can often be prevented, and the progression to kidney failure can often be slowed or stopped. To maintain kidney health, follow up with your doctor and control your blood pressure and blood sugar levels,” says Dr. Malha.
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