Dr. Brad Rovin
Though it is the eighth leading cause of death in Ohio, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kidney disease can be very easy to overlook.
Numerous kidney maladies are tough to classify without the help of a medical professional, but doctors and researchers are working to improve awareness as well as treatment.
The Facts
Kidney disease is a broad term that encompasses any impairment in kidney function. The main jobs of the kidneys are to filter waste out of the blood and control blood pressure. A patient is considered to have chronic kidney disease (CKD) when his or her kidney health has been impaired for more than three months.
“The most common causes in western countries like the United States are diabetes and hypertension,” says Dr. Brad Rovin, director of the division of nephrology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Following that are inflammatory diseases that we call glomerulonephritis and some hereditary diseases that we call polycystic kidney disease. But, overwhelmingly, diabetes and hypertension are important causes in this country and in this city.”
The CDC reports that 14.8 percent of the U.S. population suffers from CKD.
Prevention
The CDC also reports that only 8.1 percent of stage three and four CKD sufferers know they have the disease. Though this may sound jarring, the explanation is not especially complicated.
“The most important thing we can do right now, for patients with every type of kidney disease, is good blood pressure control,” says Rovin. “I know it sounds like that’s really simple and straightforward, but the problem is blood pressure can be quite high for a very long period of time, and people don’t know it because they don’t feel bad. So I would say that patients who are especially at risk – people with diabetes, people who are African-American, people who have family history of kidney disease – really need to have their blood pressure checked pretty regularly.”
Watching one’s blood pressure is not only helpful for preventing kidney disease, but also for slowing it down.
“In almost all kidney diseases,” says Rovin, “even if they will eventually progress towards end-stage and require dialysis or transplantation, if you can control the blood pressure early in the disease and control it to certain levels that are quite good, we can slow down the progression significantly.”
To be extra safe, Rovin also recommends that everyone go in for a urinalysis periodically.
Research and Clinical Trials
One of the most exciting developments in kidney disease research, Rovin says, is the Kidney Precision Medicine Project, started by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
“The idea is we’re going to accumulate a huge amount of information that we’ve never had before that I think will provide important insights into how to address these diseases,” says Rovin.
OSU’s Lupus Clinic also has a part to play. Lupus often attacks the kidneys. As Rovin specializes in this area, he is especially excited about the possibilities surrounding the clinic.
“We have developed a very robust clinical trial program,” says Rovin. “As new drugs are coming out for a variety of these diseases, we want to be able to get our patients into clinical trials to look for new therapies.”
Valerie Mauger is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Causes of Kidney Failure:
- 44% - Diabetes
- 29% - High Blood Pressure
- 20% - Other Causes
- 7% - Unknown Cause
U.S. Renal Data System, 2014
Notable Symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease:
- Swollen feet
- Trouble sleeping
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue
- Itchy skin
- Frequent urination
Per the Mayo Clinic
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