What is chronic kidney disease (CKD)?
- Ziad Sara, MD, FACP, FASN
- May 8, 2017
- 1 min read
Chronic kidney disease includes conditions that damage your kidneys and decrease their ability to keep you healthy by doing the jobs listed. If kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build to high levels in your blood and make you feel sick. You may develop complications like high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Also, kidney disease increases your risk of having heart and blood vessel disease. These problems may happen slowly over a long period of time. Chronic kidney disease may be caused by diabetes, high blood pressure and other disorders. Early detection and treatment can often keep chronic kidney disease from getting worse. When kidney disease progresses, it may eventually lead to kidney failure, which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to maintain life.
Thank you for this clear explanation of chronic kidney disease and its long-term impacts. Early detection is key—if you're at risk or experiencing symptoms, it's essential to consult a specialist for timely diagnosis and treatment. Learn more about managing CKD effectively at the link above.