About

The Kidney
Kidney
Tips for
preventing Your kidneys filter waste and extra
Failure
fluid out of your blood so they can

kidney failure be removed from your body in your

urine. When your kidneys stop
Nikolai D. Cabrera working and can no longer do their
Claude Shannon C. Felina job, it’s called kidney failure.

Tips on
Preventing
KIDNEY
FAILURE
Because high blood pressure and
diabetes are the most common
causes of kidney failure, many of the
prevention tips are related to
managing these two conditions.
1 Manage your blood sugar
Diabetes increases your risk for heart disease and kidney
failure. That’s just one reason to manage your blood
sugar.
2 Manage your blood pressure
High blood pressure can increase your risk for heart
Additional
disease as well as kidney failure.
3. Maintain a healthy weight Information
Obesity can increase your risk for conditions associated
with kidney failure, such as diabetes and high blood
pressure.
4. Reduce salt intake
Eating too much salt is associated with high blood
If you think you might have kidney
pressure. disease, it’s important to see your
doctor for evaluation. Getting an
5 Drink enough water
Dehydration reduces blood flow to your kidneys, which
early diagnosis and treatment can
help slow the progression to kidney
can damage them. Ask your doctor how much water you
should drink per day. failure.
2. Limit alcohol
Alcohol increases your blood pressure. The extra calories
If you know you have kidney
disease, regularly see your doctor to
in it can make you gain weight, too. monitor your kidney function. While
chronic kidney disease can’t be
2. Don’t smoke
Smoking reduces blood flow to your kidneys. It damages
reversed, its progression can be
kidney function in people with or without kidney disease.
slowed with appropriate treatment.
2. Exercise regularly
Exercise, such as swimming, walking, and running, can
help reduce stress, manage diabetes and high blood
pressure, and maintain a healthy weight.