Managing kidney disease through medication

Is dialysis the only answer?

The role of medication in managing kidney disease

It’s crucial to treat kidney disease before it progresses to kidney failure. Unfortunately, without treatment, complications from the condition may escalate rapidly. While dialysis, or even transplant, are the most effective forms of treatment for kidney failure, it’s important to note that certain medications may play a role in managing the disease.

Treating underlying conditions

These medications may help to control or slow the progress of the disease, and may be described according to the cause of kidney disease in each patient.

In cases where there is an underlying condition at play, such as heart disease, diabetes or obesity, it is important to treat that condition, too. For example, patients with heart disease are advised to stop smoking, address high blood pressure, and manage the condition with medication like beta blockers or blood thinners. Diabetic patients should manage their blood sugar levels carefully, while overweight patients should strive to lose weight through diet and exercise.

Disease management through medication

Your doctor may also prescribe medication to manage the complications that are frequently associated with kidney disease.

For example, many people with kidney disease experience high blood pressure. This can be managed with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker. In addition to preventing discomfort, maintaining a healthy blood pressure is also important for proper kidney function. However, these medications can, unfortunately, also reduce kidney functions when you first begin treatment, so it is vital to monitor your condition through regular blood tests.

While high blood pressure is a symptom common to patients with both heart and kidney disease, so, too, is high cholesterol. High levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) (the ‘bad’ cholesterol that is associated with a build up of plaque in the arteries) are frequently present in patients with kidney disease – thus, by reducing cholesterol, it is also possible to reduce the risk of developing kidney disease. This is where statins have a role to play: while they help the liver remove cholesterol already present in the blood, they also lower the amount of cholesterol produced.

Swelling of the limbs is another common symptom of kidney disease. This is caused by fluid retention, which also drives up blood pressure. A diuretic, or water tablet, can help here by regulating the balance of fluids.

Since kidney disease can contribute to the development of anemia (caused by the build up of waste and fluid as the kidneys become less effective at filtering blood), it is important to help the body produce more red blood cells. This can be done by supplementing erythropoietin, a hormone which is usually secreted by the kidneys, and which plays a key role in the production process. Your doctor may additionally prescribe iron supplements. Both treatments will help to relieve the symptoms of anemia, which include weakness and fatigue.

Another supplement you may be advised to take is calcium, along with Vitamin D. Both are important for bone health, and reduce the risk of breaks and fractures by strengthening bones. Weak bones in kidney disease patients have their roots in the  decrease of the body’s supply of active Vitamin D drops when kidneys no longer function properly. This stimulates the production of parathyroid hormone, which leaches calcium from the bones and moves it into the blood. These supplements can address this, while a phosphate binder may be recommended to safeguard the blood vessels from damage caused by calcium deposits.

The role of diet

Another way to protect kidney function is by changing your diet. Again, your doctor is likely to suggest steps that can keep contributing conditions in control, such as reducing salt intake if you suffer from high blood pressure. But more than this, a diet low in protein will help to reduce the waste products that the kidneys need to remove from the blood, thus reducing their workload and preventing strain.