What the kidneys reveal about the heart
Kidney experts call the Kidneys if Seismographs for vascular health. Because they draw attention to problems in cardiovascular system attentive long before it becomes one kidney failureone Heart attack or one stroke comes.
professionals of German Society for Nephrology eV (DgfN) are in favor of the kidneys being much more frequently used Assessment of vascular health should be consulted. Because the kidneys are one “Window to the Vessels”which is looked through far too seldom.
Determine vascular health using the kidney
It already exist two inexpensive methods, which can be used to assess the health of the cardiovascular system using the kidney. On the one hand, it is about the Determination of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and on the other hand about the Elevation of albuminuria.
According to the DgfN, the procedures not only provide information about the health of the detoxification organ, but also allow conclusions to be drawn about it cardiovascular risk to. Hardly any other method can perform such a risk assessment. In comparison, imaging methods are far more complex and expensive. Nevertheless, kidney tests are not included in the precautionary catalogue.
According to the DgfN experts, every chronic kidney disease is ultimately also a vascular disease and “Although one that you can recognize early on and counteract”.
Condition of all vessels can be read from the kidney
The kidney function tests allow conclusions to be drawn about the condition of all vessels in the entire body. “We can therefore use the kidneys as seismographs of vascular health early on, long before kidney failure, a heart attack, or a stroke occurs.”emphasizes nephrologist Professor Dr. Uwe Heemann at the 14th Annual Meeting of the DGfN in Berlin.
According to Professor Heemann, consistent early detection of kidney disease not only avoids cases of dialysis, but also other vascular events such as Heart attack and stroke.
The window to the vessels
“Kidney function is a window to the blood vessels, but the problem is that we rarely look inside”emphasizes the specialist.
It has long been known that chronic kidney disease is a risk equivalent for coronary heart desease is. dr Heemann points to one Studywhich already showed in 2010 that the risk of cardiovascular problems can be estimated well using simple kidney function tests.
Cardiovascular risk increases with kidney disease
Conversely, a chronically diseased kidney also increases the risk of cardiovascular events. According to Heemann are round eleven percent of the population in this country are affected by chronic kidney disease.
Most of those affected never reach the terminal stage of the disease. On the one hand, this is due to the successful preventive measures with which the progression is slowed down.
“Unfortunately, it is also due to the fact that many of those affected die of cardiovascular diseases before they even develop severe kidney disease that requires dialysis.”clarifies the professor.
Kidney check should become a routine examination
The physicians at the DgfN therefore demand that the recording of kidney parameters be carried out routinely in the Check-Up 35+ recorded and by the statutory health insurance companies be taken over.
This would make it possible to identify more patients with an increased cardiovascular and renal risk at an early stage. In perspective this could save lives. (vb)
Author and source information
This text corresponds to the requirements of medical specialist literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been checked by medical professionals.
Author:
Graduate editor (FH) Volker Blasek
Sources:
- German Society for Nephrology eV: CKD is much more than “just” a kidney problem – the kidneys are seismographs for vascular health (published: 07.10.2022), dgfn.eu
- Matsushita K, van der Velde M, Astor BC, Woodward M, Levey AS, de Jong PE, Coresh J, Gansevoort RT, et al.: Association of estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in general population cohorts: a collaborative meta-analysis; in: The Lancet. (2010), thelancet.com
Important NOTE:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. He can not substitute a visit at the doctor.