Kidney Disease Sneaks Up on Victims

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Kidney Disease Sneaks Up on Victims

Sat Apr 13, 2:10 PM ET

By

HealthScoutNews Reporter

SATURDAY, April 13 (HealthScoutNews) -- More than 270,000 Americans have

advanced kidney disease.

However, doctors warn that up to 13 million more are at risk for

developing the deadly illness and they don't even know it.

In its early stages, kidney disease has almost no symptoms, explains Dr.

Keane, president of the National Kidney Foundation.

" There are usually very few symptoms that would cause a patient to bring

it to the attention of their physician, " Keane says. " No pain, headache,

upset stomach or chest pain. Kidney disease is a silent disease. "

Not surprisingly, many people have advanced kidney disease, called " end-

stage renal disease, " before they even discover it. At this point, the

kidneys are so damaged patients often require dialysis -- where they are

hooked up to a machine that purifies the blood because the kidneys can no

longer do the job -- or a kidney transplant.

" Kidney disease is an under-recognized, under-diagnosed and under-

treated, " says Dr. Ellie Kelepouris, associate chief of nephrology at

Temple University in Philadelphia. " And the incidence is rising

tremendously. Several hundred thousand people out there already have mild

kidney disease, and don't know it. "

However, there is some good news. When caught early, the progression of

the disease can be halted with medications, Kelepouris says.

" We need to get the message out to primary care physicians that they need

to refer patients early to a nephrologist [kidney specialist], "

Kelepouris says.

About 270,000 people in the United States are being treated for end-stage

renal disease, according to recent Health Care Financing Administration

statistics. The National Kidney Foundation projects this number will jump

to 600,000 by 2010.

Two primary reasons for the growing number of people with kidney disease

is the increase in Type II diabetes and hypertension, Keane says. Almost

33 percent of those being treated for end-stage kidney disease are

diabetic. High blood pressure is the culprit in about 25 percent of

cases.

Because diabetes and hypertension disproportionately affect minorities,

blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans are at greater risk for kidney

failure.

Other risk factors include a family history of diabetes or hypertension,

as well as obesity and smoking.

Controlling diabetes, hypertension and the related protein in the urine

is key to preventing kidney disease, Keane says.

Recently, doctors have also discovered that early in the course of kidney

disease, many people become anemic. While the precise mechanism is not

understood, anemia is believed to cause an enlargement of the left

ventricle of the heart, which can lead to heart failure, Kelepouris says.

In other words, the cause of death in some people with kidney disease

isn't kidney failure, but cardiovascular disease. By treating the anemia

with medications, the swelling in the left ventricle subsides, she says.

Treatments for this type of anemia include folic acid and a drug called

erythropoietin.

" This treatment can alter the course of the disease and save people's

lives, " Kelepouris says.

Keane recommends patients who are at risk of kidney disease ask their

doctors three questions: " What's my blood pressure? What's my kidney

function? Is there protein in my urine? "

" These three simple questions are the most important in assessing kidney

disease risk, " Keane says.

What to Do: For more information about kidney disease, visit the National

Kidney Foundation, the American Association of Kidney Patients or the

American Diabetes Association.