Chronic kidney disease: who is at risk and how to get support

Dr Oshini Shivakumar MA(Cantab) MBBS MRCP(UK)

Clinical Research Fellow | Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London.
Renal Specialist Registrar | Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is very common, but less than 1 in 10 people with CKD require dialysis (artificial kidney treatment) or a kidney transplant. 

Someone with CKD is at increased risk of a heart attack or stroke, especially if they smoke or are overweight.  
People with CKD should have regular checks of their kidney function and blood pressure and have treatment if their blood pressure is elevated.  
 

What is chronic kidney disease? 

Kidney disease is a term used by doctors to include any abnormality of the kidneys, even if there is only very slight damage. ‘Chronic’ means a condition that does not get completely better and lasts over a long time. Chronic does not mean ‘severe.’ 

How common is CKD? 

Recent research suggests that around 1 in 10 of the population may have CKD, but it is less common in young adults, being present in 1 in 50 people. In those aged over 75 years, CKD is present in 1 out of 2 people. However, many elderly people with CKD may not have ‘diseased’ kidneys but have normal ageing of their kidneys.  

Although severe kidney failure will not occur with normal ageing of the kidneys, there is an increased chance of high blood pressure and heart disease or stroke, so medical checks will be helpful. 

In most cases, CKD does not cause any symptoms
and is detected because tests are abnormal.

How does someone know if they have CKD? 

In most cases, CKD does not cause any symptoms and is detected because tests are abnormal. These may be urine tests for blood or protein leaks, a blood test to measure kidney function or a scan of the kidneys. 

What causes CKD? 

There are many causes of CKD. Common causes include diabetes, high blood pressure and ageing of the kidneys. Very few of the causes of CKD are completely curable, so it is often not necessary to do extensive tests to find a cause, so long as blood tests show the kidney function is stable.  

Process of getting a diagnosis 

If someone has markedly reduced kidney function, declining kidney function or associated problems such as kidney pain, a scan of the kidneys will be performed. Some people will also have tests such as a cystoscopy (flexible tube to look inside the bladder) or a kidney biopsy (a small piece of kidney is removed with a needle and looked at under the microscope). 

If you would like to discuss your kidney diagnosis with our trained members of staff, ring the National Kidney Federation free to call number 0800 169 0936.