Medicines to manage kidney disease (part 03)

 

Medicines to manage kidney disease (part 03)

In the series of articles on medicines to manage kidney diseases, the

previous articles presented how to control kidney diseases with drugs for 

diabetes and high blood pressure. Accordingly, in today's article, we

present a long description of heart disease, which is another risk factor for

kidney disease, and the drugs are given for it.

     Heart disease and kidney diseases.

       People with chronic kidney disease are at increased risk of heart disease.

 Kidney disease can cause heart disease and heart disease can cause kidney

disease. Heart disease is the most common cause of death in people on

dialysis. Accordingly, the best way to prevent heart disease is to prevent or

treat the problems that can cause it, such as diabetes, high blood pressure,

and anemia.

      Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is also known as any problem with the heart

or blood vessels. It also prevents the heart from pumping blood. The most

common heart diseases are coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure.

Simply put, coronary artery disease is a blood clot that blocks blood flow to the

heart, and heart attack is problems with the heart muscle, valves, or heartbeat.

There is a direct relationship between kidney disease and heart disease. That is,

when the kidneys are not working well, they cannot support other parts of the

body as they should. Due to this, problems occur in tissues and other organs

including the heart.

      Usually, the symptoms of heart disease cannot be seen until the heart and

blood vessels are severely damaged. These symptoms vary depending on the

type of heart disease a person has. Symptoms of such heart diseases include

Chest pain, Shortness of breath, Feeling sick to your stomach, Feeling weak

and tired, Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in your legs or arms, Pain in

your neck, jaw, throat, or upper belly area. (abdomen) or back, Swelling of

your legs, ankles, and feet, Irregular heartbeats that feel fast, pounding or

fluttering, and Feeling dizzy or lightheaded or fainting is included. The most

important thing about heart disease is that you should seek medical treatment

as soon as you feel the symptoms. Because then it can be easily cured.

     The most common causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure,

which also contribute to heart disease. Diabetes Affects Heart Disease Because,

in diabetes, the hormone that converts blood sugar (glucose) into energy

cannot be produced or used, high blood sugar causes damage to the kidneys

and blood vessels in the heart by keeping too much sugar in the blood.

With high blood pressure, the force of the blood in the blood vessels is very

strong and it damages the heart and blood vessel walls. Then, if the kidneys are

not working well, the hormonal system makes it harder for the kidneys to

increase blood supply and pump blood to the heart. This causes your blood

pressure to rise. Anemia is another health problem that can accompany CKD

and lead to heart disease. And when the damaged kidneys are not removed,

high levels of homocysteine, a protein that builds up in the blood, can cause

damage to blood vessels or cause a heart attack. Moreover, imbalanced

calcium and phosphorus levels can also cause this.

     As the above risk conditions can be caused by heart disease along with

kidney disease, it should be checked as soon as the initial symptoms of heart

disease appear. Cardiac tests are Blood draws (Troponin I), Electrocardiogram

(ECG) or Holter monitoring, Chest X-rays, Cardiac CT scan, Cardiac MRI,

Echocardiogram, and Cardiac catheterization. However, this all depends on the

type of heart disease your doctor thinks you may have.

    If there is heart disease and CKD, the doctor will first prescribe medicine for

it. Such drugs are diuretics, ACE inhibitors,  and beta blockers. A long

description of these drugs has been mentioned in a previous article.

    Some of these drugs cause problems with the kidneys. So consult a doctor

about which medicine is best for you. Therefore, such diseases can be prevented

through a healthy lifestyle such as being active and eating kidney-friendly

foods.

    High cholesterol and kidney disease.

         High cholesterol is another cause of kidney disease. Therefore, paying

 attention to it is very important to control kidney diseases. Cholesterol is a

fat-like substance in the blood. Here, when cholesterol is deposited

excessively in the arteries, it prevents blood flow to certain parts of the body,

including the kidneys. High cholesterol levels worsen kidney disease and lead

to kidney failure. Various studies have shown that when kidney function and

cholesterol are studied together, high total cholesterol and high low-density

lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, are more common in men with poor

kidney function. Finally, tests have shown that high levels of LDL "bad"

cholesterol or low levels of HDL "good" cholesterol combined with high

levels of other unhealthy blood lipids increase the risk of kidney disease.

        Doctors prescribe statins. Statin is a drug lower cholesterol levels and

facilitates blood flow through the body. But doctors believe that statins may

not be recommended if you have undergone dialysis or a kidney transplant.

However, it is best to eat right and follow a healthy lifestyle.

   Anemia and kidney disease

          Anemia is the lack of red blood cells in the body. The kidneys produce an

 important hormone called erythropoietin (EPO). EPO signals the body to make

red blood cells. Accordingly, in kidney disease, the kidneys cannot make

enough EPO. Therefore, low EPO levels cause the red blood cell count to drop

and anemia to develop. Kidney patients may become anemic early in the

disease and this condition is exacerbated as the kidneys can no longer make

EPO. Over-the- counter treatment depends on the specific cause of the anemia.

If the cause of the anemia is kidney disease, drugs called erythropoiesis-

stimulating agents (ESA) are given. It helps the body make red blood cells.

These are given as injections.

        One should remember to get medical advice before taking any of these

medicines. However, remember that healthy living is the best way to avoid such

health problems that cause kidney disease.