March, 2001 -- Brooklyn, NY -- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
and diabetes are among today's leading health concerns. Most people are
aware that, untreated, they can lead to heart attacks, stroke and blindness.
Less commonly known is that both can lead to kidney disease. Over 65%
of new cases of kidney failure result from diabetes and/or high blood
pressure and they speed up the progress of kidney disease if it already
exists.
The kidneys work hard, processing about two quarts of waste products and
extra water daily. If they did not remove these wastes, they would build
up in the blood and damage the body. Fortunately, nature has provided
us with more renal (kidney) function than we really need. Although we
have two kidneys, people who are born with only one kidney, or who donate
a kidney for transplantation, are able to lead normal, healthy lives.
If, however, renal function drops below 20%, serious health problems will
result.
"Kidney disease can be slow, progressive and silent," says Morrell
M. Avram, MD, Chief of Nephrology and the founder of the Avram Center
for Kidney Disease at Long Island College Hospital and a world renowned
expert in nephrology (the field of medicine concerned with kidneys and
kidney disease). "Often, symptoms present only when the disease is advanced."
Dr. Avram believes that our increasing affluence is responsible for an
alarming rise in kidney disease. "Hypertension and diabetes are made worse
by a lack of exercise and by processed and take-out foods loaded with
sugar and salt," he adds. "These, over time, prevent the kidneys from
doing their job of filtering poisons from the body. Fortunately, both
hypertension and diabetes can often be successfully treated through diet
and exercise. If these methods are not sufficient, a doctor can prescribe
medication to help normalize blood sugar and blood pressure."
Other conditions, some present at birth, can also cause kidney disease.
So can poisons or trauma. Some over-the-counter pain medications have
been found to put kidneys at risk, if taken for an extended period of
time. Always consult with a doctor.
According to Dr. Avram, signs of kidney disease can include:
• High blood pressure
• Numb or swollen hands and feet
• Loss of appetite or nausea
• Changes in regular patterns of urination
• Foaming urine
• Changes in skin color (most frequently, darkening)
• Reversals of sleep patterns
• Muscle cramps
• Low number of red blood cells (anemia)
National Kidney Month, observed in March, is the time in which
nephrologists remind both men and women to ask their doctors during their
annual physicals to prescribe tests for blood sugar, urine analysis and
kidney function. Together with regular blood pressure monitoring, these
simple tests can indicate whether the kidneys are losing their ability
to remove waste products from the blood. African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans,
who develop diabetes at rates higher than average, should particularly
monitor their blood pressure and blood sugar to prevent kidney disease
from developing.
The challenge of the future for nephrologists is to increase the longevity
of patients with kidney failure. Dr. Avram's patient, Essie Rinehart,
who has been receiving dialysis (artificial kidney treatment) for 35 years
at Long Island College Hospital , is already the longest living person
in the world without natural kidneys. While prevention is always the best
course of action, Dr. Avram's promising new research involving a blood
component called prealbumin has far-reaching implications for the treatment
of patients with kidney disease as well as a variety of other public health
issues related to malnutrition.
The Avram Division of Nephrology at Long Island College Hospital is
the largest chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis centers in New York.
They can be reached at (718)780-1247.
Kidney Talk
| Hypertension: | high blood pressure | |
| Renal function: | the work your kidneys do | |
| Nephrologist: | a doctor who treats people with kidney disease | |
| Nephropathy: | any stage of kidney failure | |
| Uremia: | the retained waste and extra water in your body caused by poorly or non-functioning kidneys | |
| Hemodialysis: | a machine that mimics the natural work of the kidney by filtering wastes from the blood and returning it clean to the body. People with severe or total kidney failure undergo hemodialysis several times a week | |
| Peritoneal dialysis: | a bag containing a liquid that collects the body's waste from the abdominal lining by osmosis. It is changed several times daily |