Keeping your kidneys working at their best should be a top priority. But even if you’re paying attention you can still end up with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Just taking care of your kidneys isn’t enough to prevent it…
The two main causes are high blood pressure and diabetes. In fact, one in three adults with diabetes—and 20% with high blood pressure—have CKD.1
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June 15, 2014Healthwise
So if you think this doesn’t affect you or a loved one, think again. About 26 million Americans have this kidney condition. And the numbers are only getting higher.
As a Health Watch reader, you know that Big Pharma doesn’t have all the answers. Far from it. And when it comes to kidney disease, it becomes painfully obvious.
Chronic kidney disease can be hard to spot early. Most people find out they have it after a blood or urine test. Their doctors’ first course of action—of course—is to write a prescription. This can include blood pressure medications like beta blockers and even statins.2
If you don’t catch CKD early, your options could be even scarier… Like dialysis or a full-on transplant. But new research out of China has found a simple, natural solution.
Researchers in China followed 6,363 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). After 10 years they found people who did this were 33% less likely to die. But this didn’t just help prevent death. It also helped improve quality of life.
These people lowered their risk for needing dialysis—or even a kidney transplant—by 21%. And that’s just the average.
This easy, everyday activity may help you live longer with CKD—maybe even avoid it entirely.
We’re talking about walking.
It sounds simple, but it’s effective. And for some people in the study, it may have added enjoyable years to their life.
The people in this study who walked the most saw an even greater benefit than the rest of the group. Walking for 30 minutes or less at least once a day helped some subjects reduce mortality risk by 59%. And their likelihood for needing a kidney transplant or dialysis dropped by 44%.3
Your kidneys may be the most important organs in your body. They act like a filter for your blood. Their main job is to remove waste products and balance fluid levels. But they also help produce vitamin D and red blood cells. They even help regulate blood pressure.4
Chronic kidney disease includes a variety of conditions that cause your kidneys to shut down over time. At first, you may not notice anything is wrong. But as time goes on, waste levels can build. This may eventually make you feel sick. But it can also lead to high blood pressure and nerve damage. Worse yet, CKD may increase your risk of developing heart disease.5
Simply walking for a few minutes a day may help you avoid transplant or dialysis. It may even help you live longer with CKD. But exercise is also a great way to avoid CKD in the first place. Making the switch to high intensity exercise could lead to even more impressive results. It may also help lower your risk for high blood pressure and diabetes—the two main causes that lead to developing CKD.
So get moving.
References:1http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/factsheets/kidney.htm#1
2http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?productid=1139&pageaction=displayproduct
3http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-05-profound-benefits-patients-kidney-disease.html
4http://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/howkidneyswrk.cfm
5http://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/aboutckd.cfm
http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2014/06/the-simple-way-to-keep-your-kidneys-healthy
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