The Important Role of Kidney Health

March is National Kidney Month and therefore a reminder of how important this hard-working organ is. Kidneys remove waste products and excess water, help to maintain blood pressure and red blood cells, and balance important minerals and bone health.

About one in seven adults in the United States has chronic kidney disease (CKD) and 90 percent of those with CKD don’t realize they have it. Kidneys are frequently called the “silent organ” and generally show no symptoms of early disease. Regular testing for everyone is important, but even more so if you have the following risk factors: obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, a family history of CKD or a history of an acute kidney injury. Other risk factors can include age, prolonged use of NSAIDS, autoimmune disorders, chronic urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

High blood pressure can damage the tiny filtering units (called glomeruli) that are made up of small blood vessels in the kidneys. It’s the second leading cause of kidney failure after diabetes.

Since early detection is key, it’s important to have annual checkups with routine blood work and urine testing performed by your primary care team.

Mark your calendar for the final installment in this season’s Medical Center Lecture Series: On April 7, Baptist Health’s Guenther Koehne, M.D., Ph.D., will present “Stem Cell & Immunotherapy: Miami Cancer Institute’s Global Journey.”