Chronic Kidney Disease
CKD is a long-term condition in which the kidneys do not work as well as they should. It is a common condition and is often associated with getting older.
There are usually no symptoms of kidney disease in the early stages and it may only be identified if you have a blood or urine test. This may have already been carried out.
CKD can worsen over time and occasionally the kidneys may stop working, but this is rare and most people live normal lives with CKD. A healthy lifestyle and management of any underlying causes help prevent CKD getting worse.
Kidney function is monitored by a blood test.
Adults with CKD are at a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. Clinical trials have shown that taking a tablet called a statin reduces the incidence of having a heart attack or a stroke in patients with CKD by one quarter (SHARP trial 2011). It has also been shown that taking a statin can reduce the progression of CKD.
NICE guidance recommends taking atorvastatin 20mg daily. The Surgery will contact you if you are not already taking this medication.
Please visit the following link for more information:
NHS
Graph credit: St Anthony
