End Stage Renal Disease
Four major functions of the kidneys:
Remove waste products from the blood
Removes excess water from your body
Balances water and chemicals, such as potassium, calcium, sodium and phosphate, which are necessary for the body.
Release a hormone which helps control blood pressure and blood production
End Stage Renal Disease occurs when our nephrons, which are tiny structures that remove waste from our blood and produce urine, are damaged and filter less effectively or even stop filtering altogether. This can happen quickly, when there is an injury or over period of time, taking either months and even years to fail.
Why our kidneys fail:
Long-standing diabetes
Long-standing high blood pressure
Persistent urinary tract infections
Cysts
Poisons
Kidney stones
Circulation problems
Nephritis, which is an irritation and inflammation of the kidneys
How many people suffer from ESRD?
In 2006, 506,256 people in the United States were being treated for ESRD.
110,854 of these people were actually diagnosed in 2006
There is 163.8 deaths per 1000 patients every year, meaning there were 87,654 deaths from ESRD in 2006
How can you prevent and slow down ESRD?
Diet
Drugs
Treatment
Kidney Transplant
Dialysis
Peritoneal Dialysis
Hemodialysis
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