The kidneys do daily battle to eliminate toxins from our bodies . Scott & White helps patients fight kidney disease , and is among the nation ’ s top 3 percent for excellence in kidney transplantation *
Almost 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease , and that number is fast leading to serious concern . An increase in diabetes and high blood pressure is giving rise to kidney disease as well . Nephrology experts offer innovative options , such as home dialysis and , for the sickest patients , life-changing kidney transplants .
he unsung heroes of the body ’ s
T urinary system are the kidneys , two bean-shaped organs the size of small apples located on either side of the spine near the middle of the back . About 200 quarts of blood flow through a healthy pair of kidneys each day , ridding the body of toxins that are eventually eliminated through the urinary tract . The kidneys ’ silent performance all day , every day is nothing short of amazing . And even when they break down as a result of disease , they don ’ t go down without a fight .
“ Kidneys are like the body ’ s oil filter ,” says Donald Wesson , MD , FACP , nephrologist , and chief academic officer of Scott & White Healthcare . “ When a machine does its work , it often produces waste products . If those waste products were to accumulate , it would hinder the function of the machine .” The kidneys also perform many other important functions , such as balancing the body ’ s chemicals and regulating blood pressure .
Kidneys ’ strength can mask serious disease The kidneys are resilient , says Mohanram Narayanan , MD , FACP , director of Scott & White Healthcare ’ s Division of Nephrology / Hypertension ; chief of the Section of Clinical Transplantation ; and medical director of Scott & White Killeen Dialysis Units . “ You ’ d have to lose almost 90 percent of your kidney function before you knew something was wrong .”
That resilience has its drawbacks . “ We have much more kidney function than we need to remain healthy , and that ’ s both a blessing and a curse ,” says Dr . Wesson . “ The blessing is we can lose a considerable amount of our kidney function and still remain reasonably healthy . The curse is because we remain reasonably healthy , we don ’ t know that we ’ re losing that kidney function until a significant amount of it is already lost and we start feeling really bad .”
He and the rest of the team are concerned about the growing number of people affected by kidney disease : the increased number of diabetes cases causes an increase in kidney disease . Diabetics have high blood pressure and this can damage the kidneys . In fact , almost half of patients who start dialysis , a kidney or renal replacement system , have Type 2 diabetes . High blood pressure also can cause diabetes by putting too much pressure on the kidneys as they filter blood .
Chronic kidney diseases include kidney stones , masses of calcium that build up in the urine and can be quite painful . Nephritis is another condition that can be caused by an allergic drug reaction , leading to inflammation of the kidneys .
While a person may not experience any symptoms until a majority of the kidney function is lost , those same symptoms , such as loss of energy and loss of appetite can
* HealthGrades , 2009
sw . org | Winter 10 THE CATALYST 31