What You Can Do to Prevent Chronic Kidney Disease
If someone asked you what kidneys do, you’d probably know that they help remove waste products and extra fluid from our bodies. But did you know that their job doesn’t stop there?
Kidneys are powerful chemical factories that also:
Remove drugs from the body
Balance the body’s fluids
Release hormones that regulate blood pressure
Produce an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones
Control the production of red blood cells[1]
As you can tell from this list, your kidneys play an important role in keeping you alive. Chronic kidney disease stops your kidneys from being able to do their jobs, allowing waste to build up in your blood and make you feel sick. That’s why it’s so important to live a healthy lifestyle and take care of your kidneys.
33% of U.S. adults are at risk for kidney disease, but most of them don’t know it. The good news is that the top two causes of kidney disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, can be prevented or controlled with guidance from your doctor.[2] Getting regular exercise, losing weight, eating nutritious foods with less fat and salt and making other healthy lifestyle decisions can lower your chance of having these risk factors and can protect your kidneys.[3]
Want to know your risk? Take a minute to take a quiz to learn your risk now!
1. How Your Kidneys Work. (2020, September 1). National Kidney Foundation.
2. 10 Major Causes of Kidney Disease. (2020, September 1). National Kidney Foundation.
3. How is High Blood Pressure Treated? (2020, September 1). National Kidney Foundation.