Tomorrow, Thursday, World Kidney Day is commemorated under the motto ‘Kidney health for all. Increasing knowledge to improve kidney care’. Specialists point out that healthy lifestyle habits prevent risk factors such as overweight, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking.
The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands joins the commemoration tomorrow, Thursday, March 10, of World Kidney Day, under the slogan Kidney health for all. Increasing knowledge to improve kidney care is celebrated with the aim of highlighting the importance of knowing regarding this disease, not only to prevent it, but also so that patients and their caregivers have clear, accessible and understandable information regarding it, so that be the protagonists in their care, control and treatment.
This year of “Kidney Health for All” is encouraged to work to close the knowledge gaps for better kidney care. Efforts are focused on increasing education and awareness regarding kidney health and reducing the knowledge gap that is limiting the fight once morest kidney disease and increasing the mortality associated with it.
For this reason, the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyle habits and avoiding the appearance of risk factors that can trigger Chronic Kidney Disease, such as being overweight, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking, must continue to be stressed.
Early detection of Chronic Kidney Disease is a priority to establish strategies to prevent progression to more advanced stages. It is estimated that in Spain Chronic Kidney Disease affects approximately 10 percent of the adult population and more than 20 percent of those over 60 years of age. In people with high blood pressure or Diabetes Mellitus these figures reach 35-40 percent. These people will require lifelong control, medication, and in more advanced cases, dialysis or kidney transplant. Therefore, the message is clear: Kidney disease can be prevented, we must take care of the kidneys, since they are for life and we must know how to take care of them.
For this reason, the Ministry of Health reminds us that it is extremely important to intensify the measures to promote healthy habits and lifestyles, as well as carry out controls and monitoring from the start of the disease. Healthy eating and physical exercise are essential elements to prevent the disease.
Obesity is also a risk factor that increases the probability of the appearance of Chronic Kidney Disease and can cause the development of diabetes, high blood pressure and dyslipidemia, which increase the probability of getting sick and dying from cardiovascular disease and kidney failure.
How to prevent Chronic Kidney Disease
Kidney disease usually progresses silently and early detection is crucial because it allows proper treatment before kidney damage is irreversible or deterioration manifests itself through other complications.
Simple laboratory tests on blood samples (to measure creatinine content and estimate glomerular filtration rate) and urine (to measure creatinine and albumin excretion), especially if you have risk factors, allow the detection of the disease.
The basic tips for the care and well-being of the kidneys are specified in:
• It is essential to eat a healthy and balanced diet.
• Practice physical activity regularly, because in addition to improving various bodily functions, it helps to control weight, blood pressure and collaborates in the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
• Control blood pressure and blood sugar levels, the main causes of Chronic Kidney Disease.
• Maintain adequate hydration for the care and well-being of the kidneys.
• Avoid smoking, tobacco is a cardiovascular risk factor, and the kidney is one of the organs that is affected for this reason.
• Do not take medication without medical supervision, there is medication that can cause kidney damage.