Assessing Your Risk
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Could you or someone you care about be at risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD)?
Many are at risk and don’t even know it. Risk factors include the following:
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Diabetes
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High blood pressure
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Cardiovascular disease
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Family history of kidney disease
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Age of 55 or greater
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If you may be at risk for kidney disease, consider scheduling a kidney screening with your general practitioner as part of your next check-up.
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How can I find out if I have kidney disease?
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Kidney disease can be discovered through lab tests or by symptoms. High levels of creatinine and urea in your blood tests and/or high levels of protein in your urine tests are predictive of kidney disease. Diabetics should have a yearly urine test for microalbumin, small amounts of protein that don't show up on standard urine protein tests.
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If I have signs of kidney disease, what should I do?
After you have basic screening tests done, if you have signs of kidney disease you should ask for a referral to a nephrologist, a specialist in treating kidney disease. A nephrologist will perform an evaluation then suggest medications or lifestyle changes to help slow the progression of your kidney disease
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