Kidneys and Heart Disease - A Deadly Combination
@DeborahDiane (40293)
Laguna Woods, California
March 12, 2016 12:57am CST
While my husband and I were speaking at National Kidney Day about the effect his kidney disease and medication has had on him and our family, the kidney doctor (known as a nephrologist) who also spoke that day taught us a great deal.
This is a photo of us with the research and development team that is working on the medication that my husband takes. (I cannot mention the names of the researchers, the company or the drug.)
Below are some of the things we have learned about kidney disease.
* If you live long enough, you have a 1 in 9 chance of developing kidney disease.
* Many people are never told they have kidney disease, even when they have a low GFR number ... which is the most common indicator of kidney disease.
* Because many people are never told they have kidney disease, they do not know they need to change their diets in order to extend their lives. Even some of those who know they have the disease are not told what changes they should make to their diet, especially if they are older adults. Some doctors take the attitude that "they are going to die anyway, so why bother to have them change their diet."
* Kidney disease is related to diabetes and coronary heart disease.
* Having kidney disease increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke by 4 or 5 times ... even if all other risk factors are under control. In other words, even if you keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control. Researchers know that something about kidney disease is a risk factor by itself, but they don't know exactly the mechanism.
* Most people who develop kidney disease do not live long enough to even make it to dialysis. The nephrologist said that people who live long enough to get on dialysis are the "lucky ones." Most die of a heart attack, stroke or other illness before they even reach that stage.
* Dialysis is also known as "end stage renal failure" because it inevitably leads to death. The younger you are when you go on dialysis, the longer your life expectancy. The median life on dialysis is about 4 1/2 years. A young adult might live 7 or 8 years. Someone my husband's age of 71 only would expect a dialysis lifespan of about 2 years.
* Some people assume they would just get a kidney transplant. However, often that is not possible. About 20% of people would reject any transplant, no matter what. The remaining 80% do best if they have a matching, living donor ... which doesn't always work out. Even under the very best, ideal circumstances, a transplant only lasts 8 to 12 years ... occasionally a little longer. When it stops working, the patient will end up on dialysis, unless they are able to get another transplant. After a transplant, they have to take many anti-rejection pills every day and be extremely careful about their diet.
17 people like this
16 responses
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
12 Mar 16
Very informative article. Does having kidney stones count as kidney disease? Here's another cause of kidney disease, transplant medications. My sister has had a lung transplant. She told me that people with transplants usually develop and die from kidney disease due to the damage done to their kidneys by their transplant meds.
4 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Mar 16
@ElizabethWallace - No, kidney stones are not the same a CKD - chronic kidney disease - because kidney stones rarely end in dialysis. In CKD, your kidneys gradually stop purifying your blood and toxins build up, which can damage other organs, eventually causing them to fail. Heavy medication use, including transplant meds, can damage the kidneys. Both viral and bacterial infections can damage them. Clogged arteries in the vicinity of the kidneys can damage them. High blood pressure can destroy them. Too much salt can harm them. They seem to be a very vulnerable part of our body, and most of us are completely unaware of how fragile they are.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
@ElizabethWallace - Most of us never realize how complex our food choices are. Depending on our health situation, some people have to avoid a wide variety of foods ... and many people do not realize it until they are very sick.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
13 Mar 16
@DeborahDiane Okay. Thanks for the detailed info. I have stones, but none of the other issues. I avoid dark green leafy vegetables since they contain high levels of oxalate. My doctor said to keep eating the other foods, because they contain good nutrients that I need.
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@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Mar 16
@DianneN - Yes, cancer scares most of us the most. In fact, since my husband has had two serious bouts with skin cancer in the past, kidney disease was not something we even thought about ... until he developed it.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Mar 16
@ElizabethWallace - Yes, lifestyle plays a major role in the development of most diseases ... although my husband is a non-smoker, 35 year non-drinker, regular exerciser, and always ate a balanced diet that included salads and vegetables. Health issues can develop, anyway.
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
12 Mar 16
Like with many diseases, living a healthy lifestyle can help avoid both (forever if you are lucky). You walk, exercise, eat well and are living a happy life. All of this helps.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
12 Mar 16
What are the symptoms of kidney & heart disease? Sounds like a great speech to be apart of and help inform others. 
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@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
I wrote another article to explain the symptoms of kidney disease. You can also find more at kidney. org.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@DeborahDiane Yes I saw your post ~ thank you!
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
19 Mar 16
@enlightenedpsych2 I totally did not know all of those. I don't have any except lower back pains which I think I may have gotten from a roller coaster ride that I went back to back on.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
12 Mar 16
i bet that was a most enlightenin' 'xperience, ms. d-d. i'm so glad that y'all'd the opportunity to be there, to share yer knowledge 'n to gain more.
i get purty disgusted with doc's when it comes to folks who're gettin' a lil long'n the tooth 'n they keep such info from 'em. regardless'f how many years one's got left, they ought to be able to make decisions 's to how they're gonna live 'em the best they can. without bein' told they've a disease 'n makin' necessary changes...jest seems cruel to me 'n a violation'f their oath.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@DeborahDiane it saddens me (i've the misfortune to come 'cross this sorta 'managin' the elderly'. those doc's ought to be knocked off their pedestals :( the patient 'n their families ought to be the ones makin' those choices.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
15 Mar 16
@crazyhorseladycx - I agree that the patients and their families are the ones who should make these choices.
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@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
I agree with you completely! Some older people may decide they are not willing to change their diets; however, other people will want to make the necessary changes to extend their lives. Give people the right to make their own decisions.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Mar 16
What an insidious disease it is. I have heard very little about it, but knew that it existed prior to this. Why aren't people told about a low GFR number when it is a warning sign?
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
17 Mar 16
@DeborahDiane That seems incredible to me. What could be the reason?
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
17 Mar 16
@JamesHxstatic - Honestly, no one seems to know why so many people are not told they have kidney disease. Even when they are, a large number of people are not told to change their diets: reduce their protein and high potassium vegetables, as well as go on a low sodium diets. Those things can go a long way towards postponing when people need to go on dialysis. Personally, I don't think doctors want to tell people that there is nothing they can do, so just go home and eat a different diet.
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
Believe me, the scientists we met with were very frustrated to discover that many people are never told that they have a low GFR number and, thus, kidney disease. They sent research teams to hospitals to look at the charts of people who were there for a variety of reasons. About 25% of those with a low GFR number in their blood work, did not have kidney disease listed as one of the health issues on their charts. The scientists were horrified to discover that so many patients were unaware that they had kidney disease ... and so many doctors were not treating them for it.
1 person likes this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
12 Mar 16
If I understand this if a doctor tells you have a low count for your kidney and go to a specialist then move and go to another doctor and they say nothing about your kidneys they are being negligent in not carrying through and sending you to a specialist, is that correct?
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
If you have a blood test that shows you have a low GFR number, you should fight to make sure you are sent to a kidney specialist (a nephrologist). At the very least, they should put you on an appropriate diet, depending on what your numbers show.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
16 Mar 16
Wow I didn't know most of those things about kidney disease, pretty scary that doctors don't tell people.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
17 Mar 16
I agree that it is very scary that so many people do not know they have kidney disease. Terrifying!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
I'm sorry this post is depressing. I just hope it saves a couple of lives by encouraging people to get their kidney function checked, and then making the right changes to their diet.
@Tampa_girl7 (50250)
• United States
17 Mar 16
My brother was in kidney failure and they discussed a tumor. He had cancer, but is in remission now.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
12 Mar 16
Most people never think of these things until it affects someone close to them. There are various stages of Kidney disease but I agree with the nephrologist to ignore it is silly.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
You are so right that most people never think of these things until it affects someone close to them. Yes, there are various stages of kidney disease and the earlier it is caught, the more likely you will be able to change your diet and slow it down.
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
12 Mar 16
Many interesting facts. My father does/eats many things his health conditions should discourage. We have decided, it is his choice. If it makes him happy, we are okay with it.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
Yes, I have a friend whose husband is like that. He is in his 80's and he eats many things which he should not eat because he also has kidney disease. However, his wife has decided it is his choice.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
12 Mar 16
Thank you for sharing all that info. One of my brother-in-law was on dialysis for years, had a transplant, but did not keep up with medication and lost that kidney and had to go back on dialysis. He did not live many years after that.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
I'm sorry that happened to your brother. I have known other people who have had transplants and I know it is very important to keep up with the medication. Many people do not realize that even when you do everything right, transplants rarely last the rest of the patient's life. Often they just add another 10 or 12 years ... and for many people, that's good enough.
1 person likes this
@ExcellentEdward (73)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
12 Mar 16
Health is Wealth. Very imformative. :)
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
Well said. I agree that health is wealth.
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
12 Mar 16
fluid intake should be monitored when a person is having a heart problem.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Mar 16
Yes, fluid intake is also a factor in kidney disease, as well as other diseases.
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