What is Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)? 

CKD means your blood test results have shown a reduction in your kidney function and the kidneys don’t work as well as usual. The result may be temporary and kidney function can improve. Chronic means persistent or long term. It doesn’t necessarily mean it is severe. 

What do the kidneys do? 

The kidneys filter waste from the blood, turning it into urine, which is then removed from the body. 

How common is CKD? 

About 1 in 10 people have some degree of CKD. It becomes more common with increasing age, although it can develop at any time. 

It is much more common in older people and up to 1 in 2 people aged 75 or more may have CKD. This is often thought of as part of the normal ageing process rather than a true disease.  

What causes CKD? 

The commonest causes of CKD are ageing kidneys, high blood pressure and diabetes. It is also more common in those with cardiovascular disease such as heart problems.  

How is it diagnosed? 

Blood and urine tests are often required to diagnose the condition. There are 5 stages of CKD.  

• Stages 1, 2, and 3: your GP will look after you and you will require annual monitoring and may be offered additional treatment. Occasionally, some patients may be referred to a specialist.  

• Stages 4 and 5: usually indicate severe kidney disease, and you will be under the care of a specialist.  

Is CKD serious? 

Most people with CKD do not have any symptoms. People with CKD have an increased risk of developing heart disease or stroke. Your GP will have looked at your blood result and the surgery will contact you if further action needs to be taken. In most cases there is no further action apart from regular blood tests.  

If you have diabetes or hypertension, it is important to manage these conditions to prevent further damage to the kidneys.  

What is the treatment for CKD? 

For most patients, we just need to monitor the condition with regular blood and urine tests. You may be offered a medication called a statin to lower your risk of stroke and heart disease. We will contact you to discuss further treatment if this is required.  

Managing Blood Pressure 

If you have high blood pressure (hypertension), keeping your blood pressure under control is crucial as high blood pressure can harm your kidneys further and increase your risk of stroke and heart disease. 

Controlling your diabetes  

If you have diabetes, it is important that you keep your blood sugars under control as diabetes is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease. You may also be prone to high blood pressure. Therefore, it is vital that you take your medication as prescribed.  It is important to continue all aspects of your diabetes care, including eye checks and foot care. 

Healthy living 

Living a healthy lifestyle is the most important thing and can slow down or reverse the kidney disease. These include: 

• Eating a healthy diet 

• Regular exercise 

• Losing weight if you are overweight 

• Stop smoking and excessive drinking  

Why haven’t I been told I have CKD before? 

Most cases of CKD show a very small drop in kidney function and require little more than monitoring. Because CKD is very common and kidney function values fluctuate over time, treatment in the early stages often involves monitoring only. Therefore not all patients will be contacted if we feel the results do not need any specific action other than regular monitoring.  

Kidney function can also improve and sometimes we want to get a few more results before confirming the diagnosis. If the practice feels more needs to be done, they will contact you. 

Why have I been contacted now? 

In recent years, we have introduced numerous screening pilots and are committed to continuing efforts to enhance preventive and screening services to improve patient care 

The CKD programme is a new initiative we have set up to expand our range of preventive healthcare services. Additionally, we believe that providing patients with access to their health information empowers them and leads to better health outcomes. This is particularly the case given the introduction of the NHS app where you can access all your medical records and investigations. (click here for more details)  

What happens now 

You have now been added to the CKD register at the practice. This alerts our staff when your records are open to ensure we are prescribing appropriate treatments and so that your conditions can be monitored appropriately. You will be invited for annual blood tests, urine tests and may be offered additional medications to optimise your care.  

As long as everything remains stable, this will be all that is required.