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Kidney Health Disparities

2024-03-28T21:07:04-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, News & Events, What Is Kidney Disease|

African American, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native adults are twice as likely as white adults to have diabetes, which is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). High blood pressure, obesity, and a family history of kidney disease are also major risk factors for CKD. Other factors that can lead to kidney failure include drug abuse, HIV, and sickle cell disease. CKD and its progression to kidney failure (also known as End Stage Renal Disease, or ESRD) is devastating and disproportionately affects minority communities. African Americans are 3.6 times more likely to have kidney failure. Hispanic Americans and Native Americans [...]

Low Blood Pressure – Intradialytic Hypotension

2024-03-28T21:07:05-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, Home Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

By Dori Schatell, Medical Education Institute One of the main jobs of dialysis is to remove excess water from your body. Seems pretty simple, right? Like wringing out a wet towel? Of course, your body is more complex than a towel—and taking over a task that healthy kidneys did isn’t really so easy. Removing water can lower your blood pressure at dialysis, which can make you feel wretched during and even after a treatment. We’ll tell you why—and how you can stop it. Fluid in Your Body Maybe you’ve heard that the human body is made mostly of water. It’s [...]

The Power of Iron

2024-03-28T21:07:06-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, Nutrition, What Is Kidney Disease|

Why is iron so important in kidney disease? The answer is that iron can help with anemia (a lack of red blood cells), which is a common problem for people with kidney disease. Anemia can be a significant problem for you as a kidney patient because of the nature of kidney disease. The kidneys have four basic functions: Removal of waste products Maintain fluid balance Restore electrolyte and acid/base balance Stimulate the release of certain hormones The dialysis process takes care of the first three functions. The hormone erythropoietin (or “EPO”) stimulates your bone marrow to produce red blood cells. Your [...]

High Blood Pressure and Chronic Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:07:07-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

Blood pressure is the measure of how much pressure or force your heart needs to use to push your blood through your blood vessels.  High blood pressure – a serious medical condition in which the force needed to move the blood is too high, making the heart work extra hard – is one of the top causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD).  When blood pressure is too high, it can cause the walls of blood vessels to thicken and become stiff and can also damage other organs throughout the body. If a person’s kidneys are damaged by diabetes, this can [...]

Treating Anemia

2024-03-28T21:07:08-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

This fact sheet answers some questions for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or on dialysis who are receiving Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (ESAs) to treat their anemia.  This fact sheet also provides some questions to help you talk with your doctor or anemia management nurse about your treatment. Why am I getting this information? You are getting this information because you have been prescribed an ESA or you and your doctor may be considering whether you should take one.  The common brand names for these drugs are Aranesp®, Procrit® and Epogen®. You may have heard or read about risks with [...]

Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:07:09-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

People with diabetes have a greater risk of developing serious problems with their kidneys. In fact, diabetes is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease (also called CKD). To better understand why diabetes is a top cause of CKD, it is important to know more about diabetes and how it can damage your kidneys. Diabetes is a disease that affects a person’s sugar levels (also called blood glucose levels). There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas (an organ in the body behind the stomach) does not make insulin any longer. Type 2 [...]

Managing Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:07:22-04:00December 14th, 2012|Categories: eNews, Medication, Nutrition, Stages of Kidney Disease|

As you are being treated for your chronic kidney disease (CKD) Stage 5, there are 2 areas of concern that you and your renal (kidney) care team should discuss. Diet Following a renal-friendly diet can help limit the amount of waste in your body, which will aid in your treatment. You and your renal dietitian can work together to monitor the foods you eat and the fluids you drink. Some things you may discuss include Limiting fluids Avoiding salt Being aware of hidden phosphorus Sticking to the diet you and your dietitian create may not only help you feel better, it [...]

Tips for Communicating with Your Kidney Care Team

2024-03-28T21:07:31-04:00December 14th, 2012|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Pediatric Kidney Disease|

It’s easy to get confused when you’re trying to talk with your kidney care team. Sometimes they use complicated, unfamiliar terms. But being able to communicate effectively with your kidney care team can help you have some control over your health care. One way to help you communicate effectively is to take P.A.R.T.: Prepare. Make a list of important questions or concerns, and bring these up at the beginning of your visit. Ask. Ask questions regarding tests, treatments, and any follow-up steps that are necessary. Make sure you understand the doctor’s answers. If you don’t, ask until you do. Repeat. Once you have gotten [...]

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