CKD is a global health issue1
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects up to 13% of the global population.1 Being diagnosed with kidney disease can be a huge challenge, both for the patient and those people around them. Its diagnosis and management, particularly in advanced stages of kidney disease, can impact severely upon their physical and mental state.4
Global prevalence of CKD by stage
As shown in the graph, the estimated global CKD prevalence is between 11 and 13% with the majority of patients in stage 3.1 These results are in accordance with a more recent study by Obrador published in 2019.5
Understanding CKD - Kidney basics
You have two kidneys, each about the size of an adult fist, located on either side of the spine just below the rib cage. Although they are small, your kidneys perform many complex and vital functions that keep the rest of the body in balance, including elimination of wastes, regulation of blood composition, blood volume and blood pressure, as well as mineral homeostasis. When the kidneys are damaged or diseased, they can abruptly or progressively lose their ability to perform these vital functions. This results in waste and fluid build-up and abnormal hormonal regulation of blood pressure and mineral homeostasis.
The kidneys regulate:2
Waste elimination
Blood composition
Blood volume
Blood pressure
Mineral homeostasis
Definition of chronic kidney disease3
Chronic kidney disease describes the gradual loss of kidney function. According to the KDIGO 2017 Clinical Practice Guideline, CKD is defined as abnormalities of kidney structure or function, present for more than 3 months, with implications for health. Chronic kidney disease includes conditions that damage your kidneys and decrease their ability to keep you healthy. If kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build to high levels in your blood and make you feel sick. You may develop complications like high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Also, kidney disease increases your risk of having heart and blood vessel disease.
Stages of CKD
based on glomerular filtration rate (GFR)3
The KDIGO 2017 Clinical Practice Guideline suggests the classification of chronic kidney disease into five stages, based on glomerular filtration rate (or GFR), which is one of the measures of kidney function that describes the flow rate of filtered fluid through the kidney. This measure tells you how much kidney function you have. As kidney disease gets worse, the GFR number goes down.
Talk to your doctor
If you have been diagnosed with CKD it is likely that you will have regular follow up appointments with your doctor to check how you are feeling and to monitor the progress of your symptoms. If you have been feeling fatigued or think you may have any of the symptoms of iron deficiency such as paleness, faintness or a racing heart, you may want to speak to your doctor about your symptoms. To get the most out of your visit, think in advance about the information that the doctor might need in order to work out what is causing your symptoms. You should also prepare any questions that you want to ask.
HQ-NA-2100201. Date of preparation September 2021
- Hill NR, et al. PLoS One. 2016;11(7):e0158765
- https://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/howkidneyswrk date of access August 2020
- Levey AS, et al. Kidney Int. 2005;67(6):2089-2100
- Kefale B, Alebachew M, Tadesse Y, Engidawork E (2019) Quality of life and its predictors among patients with chronic kidney disease: A hospital-based cross sectional study.PLoS ONE 14(2): e0212184.
- Obrador GT. Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease. UpToDate. 2019
Why you are at risk
If you have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, commonly known as CKD, your chances of having anaemia increase. Iron deficiency could be playing a role in this anaemia.
Warning signs
One of the main symptoms of iron deficiency is fatigue, a more extreme version of tiredness. If you are experiencing fatigue, you may feel physically and mentally exhausted, even if you have not been doing any physical activities that are particularly tiring.
Talk to your doctor
If you have been diagnosed with CKD it is likely that you will have regular follow up appointments with your doctor to check how you are feeling and to monitor the progress of your symptoms. If you have been feeling fatigued or have any of the symptoms of iron deficiency such as paleness, faintness or a racing heart, you may want to make an extra appointment or speak to your doctor about your symptoms at your next scheduled visit. To get the most out of your visit, think in advance about the information that the doctor might need in order to work out what is causing your symptoms. You should also prepare any questions that you want to ask.
Treatment options
Once your doctor has tested your iron levels they can decide which treatment is best for you. This will depend on the level of iron deficiency you have, and could be advice on how to get more iron in your diet and/or recommendations for medication that you can take to improve your iron levels.
If you have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, commonly known as CKD, your chances of having anaemia increase. Iron deficiency could be playing a role in this anaemia.
One of the main symptoms of iron deficiency is fatigue, a more extreme version of tiredness. If you are experiencing fatigue, you may feel physically and mentally exhausted, even if you have not been doing any physical activities that are particularly tiring.
If you have been diagnosed with CKD it is likely that you will have regular follow up appointments with your doctor to check how you are feeling and to monitor the progress of your symptoms. If you have been feeling fatigued or have any of the symptoms of iron deficiency such as paleness, faintness or a racing heart, you may want to make an extra appointment or speak to your doctor about your symptoms at your next scheduled visit. To get the most out of your visit, think in advance about the information that the doctor might need in order to work out what is causing your symptoms. You should also prepare any questions that you want to ask.
Once your doctor has tested your iron levels they can decide which treatment is best for you. This will depend on the level of iron deficiency you have, and could be advice on how to get more iron in your diet and/or recommendations for medication that you can take to improve your iron levels.