Older Adults and Chronic Kidney Disease: Everything You Need to Know

If you’re like most people, you barely give your kidneys a second thought. These small, hard-working organs — located just below the ribcage on either side of your spine — are the unsung heroes of your body. They work day and night and are barely noticed until they start acting up. 

“People are rightfully more focused on factors like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and cancer screenings when it comes to their health, but kidney health is important and should be focused on during health screenings too,” says Kirk Campbell, MD., the president-elect of the National Kidney Foundation.  

And for good reason. As we age, our kidneys stop functioning as effectively as they once did. According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), your kidneys’ ability to filter waste and extra fluid from your blood drops by roughly 1% a year after age 40.  

Beyond that, medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure are more common in older people. All those problems can also damage the kidneys. This makes it even more important to get tested if you’re an older adult. Your Matrix in-home or virtual health and wellness assessment may include this important screening. 

Find out more about what CKD is, its symptoms and risk factors, and how this health condition is treated and prevented.  

Have questions about your health? A Matrix in-home health and wellness assessment is a great time to get answers from a licensed clinician — plus, it’s part of your plan! Call 877-302-3672 877-302-3672 to schedule.

What is chronic kidney disease?  

To first understand what CKD is, it’s important to know how the kidneys work. Roughly the size of your fist, your kidneys have several essential functions. Their main task is to help remove waste and excess fluid from your body. But they also are responsible for filtering your blood, regulating blood pressure, and balancing the levels of calcium and potassium in your body to keep your bones healthy. 

CKD is a chronic, progressive condition that develops when the kidneys are damaged. This prevents them from effectively performing all those essential bodily functions. 

“Chronic kidney disease is classified as an abnormality in kidney structure or function that has been going on for three months,” says Dr. Campbell. 

There are five stages of CKD. Stage 1 is the least severe, and Stage 5 means you have kidney failure or you’re on dialysis. That is the treatment that helps your body remove fluid and waste from your blood when your kidneys are no longer able to.  

What are the CKD risk factors? 

One in three Americans is at risk for kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation. That number is even higher among those over 60. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a family history of CKD are all risk factors, says Dr. Campbell. Obesity, smoking, and being over age 60 are also contributing factors. 

What are the CKD signs and symptoms?  

CKD doesn’t often have any symptoms, particularly in its earliest stages. But as the condition progresses, there may be more signs that you have it. 

“For chronic kidney disease, the main symptoms I’m looking for during a home health assessment are elevated blood pressure, swelling of the legs, and fatigue,” says Patricia Wells, FNP., a Detroit–based family nurse practitioner with Matrix Medical Network.  

Other symptoms include: 

• Nausea 
• Itchy skin 
• Shortness of breath 
• Urinary issues, such as going to the bathroom too much or too little 

People who have a more advanced stage of CKD may also notice: 

• Trouble concentrating 
• Numbness or swelling in the arms, legs, ankles, or feet 
• Achy muscles or cramps 
• Shortness of breath 
• Vomiting 
• Sleep difficulties 
• Bad breath 

How is CKD diagnosed?  

CKD can be detected with two different tests: one blood and one urine. The blood test is known as an eGFR. It determines how well your kidneys remove waste products from the blood. This test is used to discover which of the five stages of CKD you may have. For this test, a higher number is better. 

The urine test is called an uACR, and it is used to measure the amount of two different substances you may have in your body. One is called albumin, which is an indicator of kidney disease. The other is creatinine, which is a waste product that’s produced when proteins in your body break down. Creatinine is removed from your body through urination. A lower number is more desirable for this test. 

Since the disease is so often asymptomatic, “it’s important to get an annual kidney health assessment with kidney function being measured and urine checked,” says Dr. Campbell.

Recommended reading: The screening tests that can help catch chronic kidney disease

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How is CKD treated?  

This health issue isn’t reversible once you’ve been diagnosed, but you still have some control over how serious CKD becomes if you have it. 

“It’s not about reversing the damage, but it’s about trying to make sure it doesn’t progress further,” says Wells. “This is when you need to get laser-focused on your diet — particularly with sodium and potassium — and monitoring your blood pressure.” (Learn more about how to eat well with kidney disease here.) 

Fortunately, Dr. Campbell says that treatment has come a long way in recent years. You will likely be prescribed medications used to control blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol.  

“There are also newer medications that have been approved in the last five years that work effectively to slow the progression,” he says. “There were patients who had limited options in the past, and now we can do more to improve quality of life.” 

To further protect your kidneys, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends these lifestyle tweaks to help keep your kidneys healthy: 

• Make healthy food choices, including cutting back on salt and added sugars. 
• Exercise for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week. 
• If you are overweight or obese, work toward reaching a healthier weight. 
• Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. 
• Quit tobacco. 
• Avoid or limit alcohol intake to one drink a day for women and two for men. 
• Try stress-reducing activities like meditation, yoga, or tai chi. 
• Manage diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease if you’ve been diagnosed with any of them. 

Recommended reading: How exercise helps manage chronic kidney disease

See our sources: 
Kidney health and aging: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  
CKD statistics: National Kidney Foundation 
Stages of CKD: National Kidney Foundation 
Kidney disease tests: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Kidney Foundation 
Preventing CKD: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases