Stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) sounds alarming. However, it rarely causes symptoms and does not have a big impact on quality of life.
With with changes in lifestyle, it is possible to keep your kidneys healthy. Despite the name, very few people with Stage 3 CKD actually have a disease of the kidney. It is very rare for someone with CKD 3 to develop kidney failure which needs dialysis or kidney transplant.
Neverthless, Stage 3 CKD does need to be taken seriously because it is very important to take care of the conditions that contribute to kidney damage e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking.
These days people are more likely to be told they have CKD Stage 3 because of new medical definitions that were introduced some years ago. Kidney disease is now divided into five stages according to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which is an estimate of how many millilitres of water the kidneys can filter in one minute (ml/min). eGFR is calculated based on your age, sex, and the levels of waste product called creatinine in your blood.
Stage 3 kidney is an eGFR 30-59 ml/min.
The rise in the number of people being told they have CKD is related to our ageing population as CKD occurs more commonly in older people.
HOW CAN I KEEP MY KIDNEYS HEALTHY?
The kidneys are important because they remove toxic waste products and excess water and salts from the blood and help to control blood pressure. They produce erythropoietin, which stimulates the production of red blood cells from the bone marrow. The kidneys also keep calcium and phosphate in balance for healthy bones and maintain blood in a neutral (non-acid) state.
The key to making sure your kidneys can do these jobs is to have a healthy lifestyle and avoid becoming overweight, which increases the risk of diabetes. It’s also important to know your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels which, if high, should be adequately treated.
If you have CKD you should have blood tests to monitor your kidney function and general health. You should also get a home blood pressure monitor to monitor your blood pressure and make sure it is well controlled.
• Stop smoking (smoking damages the fine blood vessels in your kidneys)
• Avoid taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (they can damage the kidneys if used long term)
• Maintain a healthy weight and eat a healthy Mediterranean diet, including plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, salads and fish.
• Avoid too much red meat, cakes, pies, pastries, puddings, sweets and concentrated dairy products (e.g. condensed milk, evaporated milk, whey protein)
• Cut down on salt, especially avoid salty, processed foods (e.g. ready meals, processed meats and ready-made sauces)
• Aim for moderate physical activity twice a day (e.g. walking a mile in 20 minutes or taking 10,000 steps a day. People who have a step-counter walk, on average, over 2,500 steps more than thosewho don’t)
• Drink alcohol in moderation (no more than 14 units a week)
• Have your annual flu jab
• Make sure you have a healthy blood pressure and blood cholesterol