Stealth killer: Patients may be unaware of failing kidneys

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Stealth killer: Patients may be unaware of failing kidneys

By Brooke Brown

Deseret News
Published: Monday, March 8, 2010 5:26 p.m. MST

He once enjoyed spending hours in the yard, forming vases and bowls on his newly acquired wood turning lathe, but 69-year-old Taylorsville resident Duane Slaughter spends his time much differently these days.

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning, Slaughter sits in a chair for three hours at the Oquirrh Artificial Kidney Center in Taylorsville.

Slaughter's kidneys are failing, and the tri-weekly dialysis treatment he receives is enough to keep his body going but doesn't allow him the energy to indulge in his hobbies.

He spends the hours at the treatment center hooked up to a machine via a surgically created fistula in his arm.

He can't move around much, but he makes the most of his time, preparing Sunday School lessons, writing his life history, reading the newspaper and chatting with fellow dialysis patients.

Some of Slaughter's friends from the center have died in recent years, bringing the reality of his situation close to home, he said.

Now, the Type 1 diabetic meets people with kidney problems on a daily basis: the frail, blind, diabetic woman; the young, big Polynesian man; and a the 37-year-old man in a wheelchair.

But before the Type 1 diabetic started dialysis treatment for his failing kidneys in 2008, he didn't know anyone with kidney problems.

Yet Slaughter is one of 26 million American adults with chronic kidney disease, with numbers rising at an alarming rate.

"We really have an epidemic of kidney disease going on right now," said Dr. Gerald Stephanz, a nephrologist at Central Utah Clinic in Provo who works with the National Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho.

The aging baby boomer generation and the rising rates of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are resulting in increased kidney failure among the U.S. population, Dr. Stephanz said.

Ultimately, sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets are at the root of these issues, as such factors cause diabetes, kidney failure and heart disease, he said.

And despite the widespread problem, kidney disease is surrounded by myths and misconceptions.

"I like to joke that kidney disease isn't as sexy as heart disease — you don't hear a lot about it in the news," Dr. Stephanz said.

"It's just been overlooked for quite some time, but hopefully it is starting to move to the forefront (of media attention)."

In an effort to increase awareness, the International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations will host World Kidney Day on March 11.

Dr. Stephanz said the day will be used to give free Kidney Early Evaluation Program screenings for anyone at increased risk of developing kidney disease.

World Kidney Day is also meant to highlight the fact that CKD can be treated if detected early, and diabetes can often be prevented with proper treatment, diet and exercise.

Educating the public on kidney disease is especially important because the signs of CKD often go undetected, until it is too late.

"A person can lose up to 90 percent of their kidney function and never even know it," Dr. Stephanz said.

Many symptoms of kidney failure are generic: energy loss, appetite loss, trouble sleeping, puffy eyes and trouble with concentration.

But a few symptoms are more direct indicators of CKD.

Anyone who has swollen feet and ankles, diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of CKD or of the population that has a high rate of such symptoms (African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders and American Indians) should have a doctor check for initial signs of kidney failure.

Even Duane Slaughter, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 5, said the thought of kidney failure never crossed his mind until he was faced with CKD in the mid-'90s.

"Most people probably never know (their kidneys are failing) until it puts them flat up against the wall and they say, 'You have to go on dialysis,' " Slaughter said.

Still, with dialysis treatment taking the place of his kidneys as it detoxifies and pumps blood back into the body, Slaughter said he is lucky to be alive, counting each day as a blessing.

e-mail: bbrown@desnews.com

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700014978/Stealth-killer-Patients-may-be-unaware-of-failing-kidneys.html