Unhealthy kidney plays havoc with heart health

[okarol]

Unhealthy kidney plays havoc with heart health
Take care of your kidneys just as you take care of your heart

  30 SEP 2011 Nargis Namazi 


The theme of World Heart day this year is ‘One World, One Home, and One Heart’ which states the importance of taking good care of our heart as it is the most important organ of our body. But it is equally important to note that in our body the heart does not function in isolation. So to take good care of one’s heart, it is imperative to keep a check on overall health.

Not only cardiologists, but nephrologists today support the fact that a problem with your kidney can speed up your journey towards heart ailments. The theme of World Heart Day this year is a wake-up call for everyone because kidney problems represent one of the leading causes of cardiac disorders and deaths due to cardiac ailments. Agrees Dr. Keshav Das Sadhwani, Consultant Nephrologist, Yashodha Hospital, Ghaziabad “Kidney and heart disease go hand in hand because diabetes and hypertension are two main culprits for both the diseases. Kidney disease invites heart disease due to problems of fluid overload, anemia, increased cholesterol and various metabolic and hormonal imbalances including calcium and phosphorus.”

With the progression in the stages of kidney disease, cardiovascular disease starts playing its sway. One of the major causes of heart disease in CKD patients is the imbalance between calcium and phosphate levels in the body. Phosphate binders are given to the patientsbut these are calcium based binders leading to a further imbalance of calcium and phosphate level in the body. The end result of such imbalance is cardiac and vascular calcification which leads to heart disease.

Dr. Jitendra Kumar, Senior Consultant and Head of Department Nephrology, AIMS Faridabad says: “A kidney disease patient on dialysis has a three times higher risk of heart disease and premature death. The problem is augmented because many people are unaware of this fact and do not go for detailed and regular evaluation. Hence it is important for a kidney patient to undergo proper and regular health screening in order to avoid any cardiac problems.” On the other hand, all cardiac patients are at risk for chronic kidney disease and must be screened for this.

It is important to encourage simple health screening tests such as urine and blood tests. Early diagnosis and treatment not only halt the progression to end stage renal disease, but it can also reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease which is the most common cause of premature death worldwide.

http://www.businessreviewindia.in/lifestyle/health-fitness/unhealthy-kidney-plays-havoc-with-heart-health

[billybags]

Okarol, I thoroughly agree with that. Since hubby has had kidney problems he has had 2 heart attacks which have devastated his heart muscles.He is getting worse, what with fluid which builds up, his heart does not pump properly, causing shortness of breath and the inability to be able to do small tasks. He really needs a kidney transplant and a heart transplant, some thing that will never happen, sad to say. Kidneys and heart go hand in hand.