Although kidney disease affects many people – more than 1 in 7 US adults – most don’t know they have it in the early stages. Identifying kidney problems early and taking steps to address them can help slow the progression of kidney disease and help to avoid health complications.
If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney disease, heart disease or other factors that increase your risk of kidney health problems, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has recommended these three questions to start the conversation about kidney health with your health care provider:
Have I been tested for kidney disease and how healthy are my kidneys?
How often should I get my kidneys checked?
What should I do to keep my kidneys healthy?
To check for kidney disease, health care providers use a blood test and a urine test.
Your health care provider will help decide how often you should be tested. If you have diabetes, for example, you should get tested every year.
You can help protect yourself from kidney disease and its leading causes – diabetes and high blood pressure – by adopting a healthy lifestyle for your entire family.
More in-depth questions you may have for your health care provider:
What is my glomerular filtration rate (GFR)?
What is my urine albumin result?
What is my blood pressure?
What is my blood glucose (for people with diabetes)?
Other important questions:
Do I need to be taking different medicines?
Should I be more physically active?
What kind of physical activity can I do?
What can I eat?
Am I at a healthy weight?
Do I need to talk with a dietitian to get help with meal planning?
Should I be taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs for my kidneys?
What happens if I have kidney disease?
Adapted from:
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