Course Description
About 10 to 15% of adults over 65 have some kind of kidney disease. This statistic jumps to around 50% for those seniors over 75 years of age. It is a fact that as we age, all our organs age as well, including our kidneys. It is not unusual for our kidney function to progressively deteriorate as we age. Kidney disease can develop at any time, but our elderly population are more likely than not to develop kidney disease. It is estimated that more than 37 million Americans, or one in every seven adults, have some form of kidney disease and most are not aware of it. Persons with limited medical knowledge may think that kidney disease is the sudden cessation of making urine. Many may think that only those who do not produce any urine have kidney disease. This is significant misinformation. The person can have adequate urine and yet have undetected kidney disease. Those on dialysis have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). But before the person gets to this end stage, the deterioration of kidney function is usually gradual. In many cases, with proper interventions, progression to the end stage can be delayed and healthy kidney function can be maintained. With close monitoring and following the medical advice of a nephrologist, a doctor specializing in renal disease, it is possible to maintain adequate kidney function and avoid going into dialysis.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize the risk of the elderly developing kidney disease.
- Learn the main functions of the kidneys and how they work.
- Learn the essential structures supporting the kidneys and how they can affect kidney function.
- Learn relevant labs or serum values that can indicate deterioration of kidney function or progression of kidney disease.
- Describe what eGFR value is and how it is used in staging chronic kidney disease (CKD).
- Describe the treatment options for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
- List healthy living tips to reduce risk of developing kidney disease.