A. Healthy kidneys perform important life-sustaining functions, including filtering toxins from the blood and keeping the body’s chemical balance in check by controlling blood pressure and making hormones. CKD occurs when the kidneys malfunction and is a condition that puts you at high risk for a number of serious health problems, including heart disease and kidney failure. The most frequent causes of CKD are poorly controlled diabetes and high blood pressure. The disease can progress without any symptoms.
A. 1 out of every 8 Americans or an estimated 26 million people has CKD with millions more unknowingly at risk. 35 % of adults with diabetes and 20% of adults with high blood pressure, the two most common causes of CKD, have kidney disease.
A. Early detection and treatment are your best defense for managing CKD as it can take years for symptoms to become noticable. Don’t wait for symptoms. Regular testing, including a creatinine screening to measure your blood creatinine levels, will help keep you on track.
A. We conduct a simple finger-stick blood screening to measure creatinine levels in the blood. Learn more about screening for CKD.