Can I prevent CKD?

It is not possible to prevent CKD (and therefore kidney failure) completely. But. The big BUT. there is a lot you can do to reduce your chances of getting it; and if you have it, prevent it from getting worse.

7 key points

Here are ‘7 golden rules’, i.e. things you can do, to prevent CKD and therefore kidney failure.

Get tested regularly – especially if you have diabetes
Lose weight – if you are overweight.
Get active, eat healthily and quit smoking
Keep your blood pressure below 130/80 – and 120/70 if you have diabetes
Educate yourself
Take drugs that protect the kidneys
Avoid infections and certain drugs

We will now expand on these points.

Get a blood test for CKD

Rule Number One. Find it early. Treat it early
Get tested for CKD. If you are at risk. Ask your doctor to test your blood creatinine (and eGFR) and protein level in your urine (called an urinary ACR)
Get tested regularly – if you have diabetes.

Note. Although diabetes is the ‘big one’ (major risk factor for CKD), other whole body diseases that cause CKD. These include systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases. So, if you have such a disease, getting tested regularly for CKD is important.

“Getting a checkup? Make sure to get your kidneys checked too.”

Healthy kidney tips

Lose weight – if you are overweight. This is especially true if you have Type 2 diabetes
Get active, eat healthily (eat foods lower in salt, and eat more fruits and vegetables), and quit smoking, if you smoke. Meet with a renal dietitian to make a kidney-healthy eating plan
Take your medications carefully and as directed. If you do not understand them, ask for a pharmacist for a review. Don’t run out
Keep your blood pressure below 130/80 – and 120/70 if you have diabetes
Keep to blood sugar targets. If you have diabetes, stay in your target blood sugar range as much as possible
Keep cholesterol under control.

Other things you can do to prevent (or control) CKD

Educate yourself. Learn more about taking care of your kidneys – including from the CKD Explained website!
Take drugs that protect the kidneys (called ‘renoprotective’ ones). Ask your doctor to consider these, especially blood pressure tablets called ACEi (e.g. ramipril) or ARBs (e.g. losartan), and SGLT2is (e.g. dapagliflozin). You may need both. However in some situations they can be harmful. [“Yes, it is confusing that such drugs are potentially harmful to the kidneys and protective of them, at the same time.” CKDEx Ed”]
Avoid infections and certain drugs. These can harm the kidneys or cause a rapid drop in kidney function (called acute kidney injury, AKI), such as:
- Sepsis – any infection can cause sepsis
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) – including cystitis (bladder infection) and pyelonephritis (kidney infection)
- Medications that are known to be toxic (called ‘nephrotoxic’ drugs)
  - Over-the-counter pain medicines like aspirin (and other NSAIDs, e.g. ibuprofen and naproxen)
  - Certain antibiotics
  - Chinese herbal medicines
  - Contrast media. These are dyes that are used to make the blood vessels or organs more visible on CTs, angiograms and or other x-ray tests.

Summary

We have answered the question, ‘can I prevent CKD?’ Yes, to an extent. We hope it has been helpful.

Last Reviewed on 4 July 2024