HHS HealthBeat (April 13, 2011)

The kidney spiral

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

With health problems, one thing can lead to another. Kidney disease is a case in point. Diabetes can lead to kidney disease, and this in turn to heart disease.

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nilka Rios Burrows:

``The primary causes are diabetes and high blood pressure. And all too often, these two conditions occur together, particularly as people age.’’ (7 seconds)

She says high blood sugar and high blood pressure damage the kidneys. So people can reduce their risk of kidney disease – or help manage kidney disease if they have it – by keeping blood sugar and blood pressure under control. Healthy eating, physical activity and regular checkups can help with that.

An announcement about kidney disease awareness is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011