Why is kidney disease dangerous in older ages?
Aug 07, 2024
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A, who was suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes, thought it was a disease that occurred naturally when he got older, and did not pay much attention to blood pressure control or diabetes management, and recently, his body swelled and his urine volume decreased along with fatigue, but he thought he was also old.
As you get older, your kidney function can naturally deteriorate due to aging, but if you don't properly manage your underlying disease or monitor your kidney function like A, it can lead to chronic kidney disease, so you need to be careful.
In fact, if you look at the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in 2022 by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, you can see that it is relatively common in the elderly with 1.3% in their 20s, 4.0% in their 30s, 3.7% in their 40s, 8.1% in their 50s, 9.8% in their 60s, and 21.6% in their 70s and older.
In addition, the number of patients in 2022 was 296,397, an increase of 116.4% from 137,003 in 2012, and medical expenses were KRW 2.3 trillion, an increase of more than KRW 1 trillion over 10 years.
As you get older, your body function gradually decreases, and your kidneys also gradually decrease due to aging. If chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease are not properly managed in these conditions, it can lead to kidney disease, so care should be taken.
Failure to properly manage diabetes can lead to diabetic nephropathy due to poor blood sugar control, and cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension or arteriosclerosis, can negatively affect kidney function by damaging kidney blood vessels and blood flow, leading to kidney disease. In addition, some of the several drugs taken to treat chronic diseases can put a strain on the kidneys.
In addition, multiple factors such as repeated urinary tract infections, chronic inflammation, lack of physical activity, nutritional imbalance, toxin exposure, and family history cause kidney disease.
Kim Min-ji, director of the Artificial Kidney Center at Daedong Hospital, advised "As you get older, it is easy to be exposed to various diseases, but kidney disease has few symptoms in the early stages, so regular checkups and constant preventive management are essential.'"Even if you don't have a family history, you should check your health status through consultation with your doctor if you are prescribed medication for a chronic disease or if you experience abnormal symptoms in your body."
Symptoms of kidney disease include ▲ fatigue and lethargy ▲ foamuria ▲ small variation reduction ▲ lower extremity edema ▲ lack of appetite ▲ itching ▲ nausea and vomiting, but few symptoms appear in the early stages and symptoms appear after they have already progressed considerably.
As regular monitoring is important, the condition of the kidneys should be checked periodically through blood tests such as creatinine and glomerular filtration rate and urine tests such as proteinuria.
If you have chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, you should continue to manage them according to the doctor's instructions, and consult your doctor when taking new drugs or changing existing drugs.
Avoid foods high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fat, maintain a balanced diet with fruits and vegetables, and pay attention to water intake.
In addition, choose an exercise that suits your physical strength and conduct it for at least 30 minutes a day, and do not smoke, abstain from drinking, and conduct regular medical checkups.
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bellho@sportschosun.com
