What are the Risk Factors for Kidney Disease?

Risk Factors for Kidney Disease: Causes, Symptoms & Prevention

Kidneys remove extra water and natural waste from the body, produce red blood cells, and keep bones healthy. Heart disease, high blood sugar levels, and being overweight are predictive risk factors for kidney disease. Globally, around 85% of the population from low and middle-income countries is affected by kidney disease.

Risk Factors That Trigger Kidney Disease

Early detection of kidney disease is important. Sometimes, kidney disease progresses without causing signs and noticeable symptoms, so knowing risk factors can increase the possibility of preventing the disease. Key risk factors include:

1. Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Hypertension is the increasing risk of kidney disease, leading to end-stage renal damage or disease, mortality and cardiovascular problems. High blood pressure reduces blood flow by narrowing blood vessels. It causes weakness in other organs of the body, including the kidneys.

2. Diabetes

Each kidney consists of a million small filters and nephrons. For diabetic patients, high blood sugar levels damage filtering units, mainly the blood vessels within the kidneys.

Damaged blood vessels become clogged and narrow. It prevents blood flow in the kidneys and causes protein leakage in the urine, which indicates kidney damage.    

3. Obesity

Having obesity or being overweight raises the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, which are primary causes of kidney disease. People with severe obesity, the highest BMI, have seven times more risk of kidney damage compared to people with a normal BMI.   

4. Age

Older people are more susceptible to having kidney damage or failure. Age is a multitude of psychological and physical changes, including alterations of organ structure and function. Reduced numbers of tiny filters in the kidneys, impaired renal blood flow and decline in renal function are common age-related issues and contribute to the risk of developing kidney disease.

5. Heart Disease   

Adults living with heart disease are likely to face kidney problems, and both share common risks, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Due to severe heart disease, the heart fails to pump and fill with oxygen-rich blood, leading to reduced blood flow to the kidneys. Reduced blood flow affects kidney function and causes kidney damage.  

Apart from the above risk factors, a family history of kidney problems and diabetes can cause kidney disease over time.

Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Disease

People suffering from kidney disease may experience these symptoms,

• Frequent urination
• Foamy urine
• Nausea
• Dry or itchy skin
• Appetite loss
• Weight loss

In the advanced stage of kidney disease, people may face noticeable symptoms, including:

• Swelling or numbness in legs, ankles, arms and feet
• Muscle cramp
• Breathing shortness
• Vomiting
• Breath smells fishy or like ammonia
• Sleeping issues

Kidney disease is a condition in which the kidneys are damaged slowly and fail to remove waste and filter extra water from the body. Diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure, obesity and age are risk factors for kidney diseases. Frequent urination, dry or itchy skin, appetite loss, muscle spasms, tiredness, nausea, and swelling in the legs and hands are common symptoms of kidney disease.

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