What Causes Chronic Kidney Disease?

Living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be tough because it keeps getting worse over time and can affect your quality of life as it progresses. Catching it early is super important because then you can do something about it sooner rather than later. Interestingly, CKD often remains hidden during its early stages but if you know what to look out for and understand what might put you at risk, you can take steps to tackle CKD early on. In this blog, we’ll dig into risk factors a bit more to help you stay informed.

CKD is a condition characterized by the gradual loss of kidney function over time. It typically develops slowly over time and has five stages. In the early stages (stages 1 and 2), people usually do not experience any symptoms at all. Symptoms start becoming more noticeable in the later stages (stages 3 and 4), with the last stage marked by end-stage kidney disease or ESKD. To learn more about what happens in each stage of CKD, check out our previous blog.

What are the risk factors for CKD?

As you can imagine, some people are more prone to develop CKD than others. And your chance of developing this condition depends on your overall health along with the environment you’re in:

Diabetes: Normally, glucose is the body’s ‘most valuable player’ or MVP as it feeds our cells/tissues. But when levels spike, like in diabetes, it sparks a chronic inflammation fiesta throughout our bodies, kidneys included. And here’s the kicker: all that inflammation can directly harm kidney cells and leave behind tough scar tissue (fibrosis), damaging kidney function as time ticks on. To learn more about chronic inflammation and its harmful effects, check out our blog: https://community.wholistics.health/the-ultimate-guide-to-understanding-inflammation/

Hypertension: Hypertension is a medical condition characterized by elevated blood pressure levels. You know those times when you’re super stressed or angry, like after a crazy day at work or when someone’s getting on your nerves? That’s when you might feel your blood pressure rise, but that’s not quite the same as having hypertension. So, when does your blood pressure officially hit the hypertension zone? It is when it goes above 130 for the top number (that’s called systolic) and over 80 for the bottom number (we call that diastolic) on the blood pressure monitor.

When your blood pressure is consistently high like that, it means your heart is working extra hard, and you have to take steps to prevent systemic health issues. One of the main targets of hypertension is the kidneys. Think of hypertension as a bully messing with the blood vessels in your kidneys. These vessels are like tiny filters that clean out all the junk from your blood. But if your blood pressure stays high for too long, it can beat up those filters, causing damage. And when they get damaged like that, it is harder for your kidneys to keep your blood clean and your body healthy. Check out our previous blog on natural ways to reduce blood pressure: https://community.wholistics.health/11-natural-ways-to-lower-your-blood-pressure/

Age: The risk of CKD increases with age, particularly for individuals over 60. As we age, our kidneys start to change. They lose some of their ‘pep’ if you will. The number of working parts in the kidneys goes down, and they cannot bounce back from damage as easily. So, even if you do not have any kidney problems, just getting older can make you more prone to kidney issues.

Moreover, as we age, we are also likely to develop other health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart problems. These conditions can further damage the functioning of the kidneys. It is like a domino effect, where one thing leads to another. And speaking of other health stuff, older folks also tend to be on more medications for different health issues. But sometimes, those meds can put extra strain on the kidneys or even be downright toxic to them. So, it is like our kidneys are getting hit from all angles. However, with smart choices, we can still give our kidneys the love and care they need, no matter how many candles are on the cake!

Obesity: Obesity is a significant risk factor for CKD. When a person is obese, their kidneys have to work harder. This is because they have to filter a larger volume of blood to meet the metabolic demands of excess body weight. This can exert strain on the kidneys and contribute to their wear and tear. Additionally, obesity often results in chronic inflammation, which as described previously can harm kidney tissue. Reducing obesity through diet, exercise, and medical treatments can help lower this risk and protect kidney health. Check out our previous blog by Dr. Jason Fung, a certified nephrologist on the use of fasting to manage obesity: https://community.wholistics.health/dr-jason-fung-fasting-as-a-therapeutic-option-for-weight-loss/

High cholesterol: Obesity comes hand in hand with elevated cholesterol levels. High cholesterol can contribute to CKD in a few ways. When cholesterol levels are too high, it can lead to the buildup of fatty deposits in your blood vessels, including those in the kidneys. This can restrict blood flow, making it harder for the kidneys to do their job of filtering waste from the blood. Over time, this reduced blood flow can cause kidney damage. In a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, a link was found between low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and declining kidney function. The study tracked kidney health over three years in 15,792 people aged 45 to 64. They measured cholesterol levels, including HDL (good) cholesterol along with creatinine, a waste product that kidneys should filter out. Higher creatinine levels in the blood indicate poor kidney function. The researchers found that lower levels of the good HDL cholesterol was associated with higher creatinine levels, and a greater risk of kidney function decline.

Smoking: Cigarette smoking is also a major cause of CKD. This is because smoking damages the kidneys in several ways. First, smoking harms the blood vessels, preventing them from opening up properly. This reduces the blood flow to the kidneys, which over time leads to kidney dysfunction. Additionally, the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke directly inflame and damage the delicate filtering parts of the kidneys. Smoking also causes proteins to leak out of the kidneys and into the urine. This is a sign of serious kidney damage.

Beyond the direct effects on the kidneys, smoking also indirectly worsens kidney health. This is because it is linked to other conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, which can further damage kidney function. Some substances in cigarette smoke, like cadmium and lead, can also directly poison the kidneys. So cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for developing and worsening CKD. Therefore, quitting smoking is a crucial step for anyone with or at risk of kidney problems. Check out our blog that focuses on smoking addiction and ways to get off the addiction hamster wheel: https://community.wholistics.health/smoking-and-how-you-get-hooked/. You don’t have to be a helpless victim to CKD. Knowledge is power, and understanding the risk factors can help you take control. We’ve covered a lot of ground already, from the damaging effects of high blood pressure and diabetes to the ways aging can affect kidney health. The good news? By taking specific steps to reduce the risk factors, we can protect our kidneys and slow the progression of CKD.