How to Prevent Chronic Kidney Disease

CKD means the kidneys are at least 40% less able to filter out wastes and water from the blood, and the damage is permanent. In time, CKD may lead to kidney failure, in which case dialysis (blood cleaning) or a kidney transplant is needed to support life.
The two most common causes of CKD are type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Among Americans with kidney failure, 75% have one or both of these problems. The rest have genetic diseases, infections, birth defects, kidney stones, or other causes.
Diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of chronic kidney disease. Hyperglycemia is an independent risk factor for nephropathy. The pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy is complex and most likely involves both hemodynamic and glucose-dependent factors, including the accumulation of advanced glycated products, endothelial dysfunction, and loss of intraglomerular blood pressure regulation.Studies have shown that the A1C level correlates with loss of renal function and that glycemic control reduces the progression of kidney disease
Take steps to control your blood pressure. The easiest way to maintain a normal blood pressure is by restricting the amount of salt and sodium-filled foods that you consume. Some salt is required to keep your body functioning, so don't cut it out of your diet entirely. Check with a dietitian to create a diet that lets you eat foods you love.
In USA, the most common cause of kidney failure is diabetes. So if you have diabetes, you need to learn about kidney damage from diabetes (diabetic nephropathy).
The other common cause of kidney damage is high blood pressure (hypertension). You need to have tight control of both blood sugar and blood pressure respectively if you have conditions above. The details on what to do if you have diabetes or hypertension deserve to be written in other hubs.
Kidney stones can lead to kidney damages, too. Especially if stones block urine flow or cause frequent infections.