{"id":12083,"date":"2020-06-24T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2020-06-24T13:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=12083"},"modified":"2026-03-12T13:05:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T17:05:25","slug":"chronic-kidney-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve noticed changes in your urine\u2014like discoloration and foaminess\u2014and you\u2019ve been swelling up lately, especially around your ankles. Some of your symptoms may be easily explained by common conditions, such as stress, pregnancy, and infection, but this constellation of symptoms could also be blamed on chronic kidney disease (CKD).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-chronic-kidney-disease\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is chronic kidney disease?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Classified as damage to your kidneys that has gone on for many months, chronic kidney disease occurs when your kidneys stop working like the fine-tuned filtration system they are (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">moving blood, fluid, and waste<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through your body 24\/7).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acute kidney disease, or damage that is mild and has occurred recently, may be reversed if doctors catch it in time. Acute kidney disease then becomes chronic kidney disease. But chronic kidney disease is harder to cure\u2014and damage to the kidneys is often something you might not know you have until it\u2019s too late to intervene.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chronic kidney disease is actually more common than you think. According to University of Missouri Health Care nephrologist Kunal Malhotra, MD, national statistics show that 14% of Americans have it, including 1 in 3 people with diabetes, and 1 in 5 patients with high blood pressure. Having either\u2014or both\u2014of those conditions makes you more likely to have chronic kidney disease, as does having a family history of kidney problems, having<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.umcvc.org\/conditions-treatments\/arterial-artery-disease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">arterial vascular disease<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or being of African American descent.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"the-stages-of-chronic-kidney-disease\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The stages of chronic kidney disease<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are five stages of chronic kidney disease. Here\u2019s how they break down:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Stage 1: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may have signs of kidney damage, like protein or blood in your urine, but it\u2019s not yet affecting your kidneys\u2019 overall functioning.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Stage 2:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You begin experiencing some loss of function, but it\u2019s likely not detectable yet unless your doctor tests your GFR, or glomerular filtration rate, which is part of a common electrolytes laboratory i.e., basic metabolic panel (BMP). In healthy adults,<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidney.org\/kidney-topics\/estimated-glomerular-filtration-rate-egfr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GFR should be at least 90<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Stage 3:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Your kidney function drops to 40% or 50%. You\u2019re beginning to accumulate electrolytes and fluid, but your kidneys are still working to overcompensate for the loss of function\u2014so you still might not be aware yet of the damage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Stage 4: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As your kidney function continues to plummet, it can no longer mask its efforts to work effectively. You begin noticing symptoms like swelling as your body accumulates salt and potassium. At this point, you may feel fatigued and tired.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Stage 5:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Later on in the disease, once functioning has dropped below 30%, you may experience loss of appetite, fatigue or insomnia, dry and itchy skin, eye puffiness, swelling of the legs, ankles, and feet, muscle cramps, frequent urination, and discolored or foamy urine (signs of increased protein or blood in the urine). When your kidneys are operating at 15% (or less) of normal function, you may require a kidney transplant or<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidney.org\/atoz\/content\/dialysisinfo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dialysis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to prevent kidney failure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trickiest thing about chronic kidney disease, says Dr. Malhotra, is its silent progression.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou start to have a loss of function in stage two, but the kidneys have a mechanism to overcome those barriers,\u201d says Dr. Malhotra. \u201cIt creeps up on people&#8230;for the most part, it\u2019s not until stage four that you actually notice symptoms.\u201d In other words, it\u2019s often unnoticeable until it\u2019s too late to stop or reverse the damage. There are very few warning signs in the early stages that you\u2019re experiencing reduced functioning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not all bad news, though: There are things you can do to slow down the progression of chronic kidney disease if you have it and, thankfully, ways to prevent it from happening in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"diagnosing-chronic-kidney-disease\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diagnosing chronic kidney disease<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Physicians who suspect chronic kidney disease in their patients will typically run bloodwork to check GFR and perform a urinalysis to measure a specific kind of protein called<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/encyclopedia\/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&amp;contentid=albumin_urine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">albumin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They may also measure<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/creatinine-levels\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">creatinine levels<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; creatinine, a waste product filtered by the kidneys, often accumulates when kidney function is lowered. Since a normal level of creatinine varies with sex, age, and muscle mass, creatinine levels alone can\u2019t diagnose kidney disease, though it may be used in conjunction with urinalysis and GFR testing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These lab tests, in addition to<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6516621\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ultrasounds<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niddk.nih.gov\/health-information\/diagnostic-tests\/kidney-biopsy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">biopsies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the kidney, can help doctors diagnose the presence of damage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"treating-chronic-kidney-disease\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treating chronic kidney disease<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for treatment, much of it relies on healthy lifestyle changes. \u201cIt\u2019s important to correct underlying risk factors, like making sure your diabetes is well-controlled, as well as making dietary changes,\u201d says Dr. Malhotra.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He adds that limiting your use of unnecessary supplements and medications (especially over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, which can<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cause kidney injury<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and exacerbate chronic kidney disease symptoms), along with smoking cessation and regular exercise can also prevent further kidney damage from occurring.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Dr. Robert Greenwell, chief of nephrology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, treating high blood pressure is another way to protect your kidneys from further damage. Controlling your blood pressure with an<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/what-is-an-ace-inhibitor\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACE inhibitor<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or drugs like<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/losartan-vs-lisinopril\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">losartan or lisinopril<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can help you maintain kidney function and lower the amount of protein in your urine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t\t<div class=\"singlecare-dynamic-newsletter-wrapper sin-newsletter-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"heading\">Get our wellness newsletter<\/span>\n\t\t\t<form class=\"form-wrapper\" data-newsletter-form=\"1\" data-subsource=\"Wellness Newsletter\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"input-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"dynamic-email\">Email<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"email\" id=\"dynamic-email\" class=\"email\" required>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"input-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"submit-form-btn\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Click to sign up\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"success-message\" role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-prevent-kidney-disease\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to prevent kidney disease<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Greenwell doubles down on the connection between chronic kidney disease and lifestyle choices\u2014particularly as it relates to prevention.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen we find established, [long-term] damage to the kidneys, the likelihood of us reversing that is low,\u201d he says. \u201cBut when we look at the big things that cause someone to need dialysis, those factors are usually lifestyle-related.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also points to the high incidence of chronic kidney disease in patients with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, HIV, over the counter NSAIDs and frequent drug use: \u201cA lot of things that cause chronic kidney disease and result in permanent damage or needing dialysis can\u2019t be fixed\u2014but we could have prevented them 15 years ago with dietary and lifestyle choices.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So what can you do now, before you experience chronic kidney disease, to maintain your healthy kidneys?<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Manage your weight and blood sugar levels.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Obesity, insulin-resistance, and high blood pressure often lead to diabetes, which is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease. If your diabetes is uncontrolled with long-standing Hemoglobin A1c above 8.0%, you should seek a diabetes specialist such as an endocrinologist to help with your diabetes as it is a leading cause of chronic kidney failure in the United States.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Exercise.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Some studies suggest that<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidneynews.org\/view\/journals\/kidney-news\/6\/12\/article-p8_6.xml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">exercise can slow the progression<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of stage three and stage four kidney disease.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Stop smoking.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Smoking not only<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9205397\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increases your risk of chronic kidney disease<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it contributes to hypertension, hardening of the renal arteries, and proteinuria. It\u2019s also a risk factor for<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidneyfund.org\/kidney-disease\/kidney-failure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">end stage renal disease<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (ESRD).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Eat well.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidneyfund.org\/kidney-disease\/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd\/kidney-friendly-diet-for-ckd.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kidney health-friendly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> diet rich in whole grains, lean animal protein and plant-based protein, monounsaturated fats, fruits, legumes, and vegetables can prevent kidney damage, as can cutting back on salt, alcohol, and saturated fat. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) also advises people with chronic kidney disease to monitor<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niddk.nih.gov\/health-information\/kidney-disease\/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd\/eating-nutrition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how much phosphorus and potassium is in their diet<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, since both can easily build up in your blood. That means: Avoid eating too much dairy, too many beans, legumes, dark-colored beverages, bananas, and oranges, among other foods. Opt for low-phosphorus and low-potassium foods like apples, carrots, rice milk, white pasta, and clear beverages when possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Manage existing health conditions.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you have diabetes, hypertension, or HIV, be sure that your doctor is regularly checking up on your kidney function since those diseases increase your risk of developing kidney disease.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Reduce medication use.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cPeople take NSAIDs for aches and pains but don\u2019t realize those medications are the most common cause of drug-induced kidney injury,\u201d says Dr. Malhotra. \u201cThey can damage the kidney in multiple ways, causing an inflammatory condition that <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">be reversed\u2014unless you\u2019ve taken it for so long you\u2019ve caused irreversible scarring.\u201d He recommends only taking NSAID pain relievers, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, when absolutely necessary\u2014and always under the supervision of a physician.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Be a strong advocate for yourself.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cIf you\u2019ve got diabetes or high blood pressure, your doctor should be checking your kidney function already&#8230;and if they aren\u2019t, you should be asking your doctor how your kidneys are doing,\u201d says Dr. Greenwell. In other words, if you know you\u2019re at a higher risk of kidney damage because of a prior condition, don\u2019t be shy about making sure your doctor is keeping an eye on your kidney function.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Take a renal vitamin. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the National Kidney Foundation, chronic kidney disease may cause you to limit certain foods or food groups, which means you could be<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidney.org\/atoz\/content\/vitamineral\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lacking in some important vitamins and minerals<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Taking a<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/renal-vitamin\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">renal vitamin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can ensure that you\u2019re getting the correct nutrients\u2014like iron, calcium, and B complex vitamins\u2014every day. That said, people with chronic kidney disease should also avoid having an excess of certain nutrients, so you should always talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a class=\"cta-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/prescription\/renal-vitamin\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Renal vitamin coupons<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"can-you-reverse-kidney-damage\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can you reverse kidney damage?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You typically can\u2019t reverse chronic kidney disease because the damage and scarring is too extensive. Some forms of acute kidney disease, like the kind caused by medication overuse, can be reversed if caught early enough.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOnce [I see signs of damage], I think whether it could be from an acute and potentially-reversible cause first,\u201d says Dr. Greenwell. \u201cIf the damage is recent\u2014like your function was normal a month ago and now it\u2019s not\u2014I\u2019ve got a better chance of helping you recover than if you have long-standing damage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At that point, Dr. Greenwell explains, less focus should be placed on trying to fix or cure the damage and more on how to slow it down. \u201cIt\u2019s only when you\u2019re down to about 10% functioning that you need dialysis or a transplant,\u201d he says. \u201cSo you might have chronic kidney disease and an [abnormal] creatinine level of three, but you might be able to stay in that range for a long time. We can try to slow the damage down, so your creatinine levels worsen over 15 years instead of three.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talk to your healthcare provider about the best ways to slow the progression of your kidney problems. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019ve noticed changes in your urine\u2014like discoloration and foaminess\u2014and you\u2019ve been swelling up lately, especially around your ankles. Some of your symptoms may be easily explained by common conditions, such as stress, pregnancy, and infection, but this constellation of symptoms could also be blamed on chronic kidney disease (CKD). What is chronic kidney disease? Classified [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":57160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8029],"tags":[790],"coauthors":[8860],"class_list":["post-12083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-education","tag-chronic-disease","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It\u2019s hard to detect in its early stages, but there are steps you can take to prevent chronic kidney disease and avoid renal damage if you have kidney problems.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Understanding chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It\u2019s hard to detect in early stages, but these tips will help avoid renal damage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Checkup\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/singlecare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-06-24T13:00:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-12T17:05:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_062420_Prevent-kidney-disease.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Bradley\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Understanding chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"It\u2019s hard to detect in early stages, but these tips will help avoid renal damage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SingleCare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@SingleCare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Bradley\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Rohit Shingate\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1161f46727b9ae4f5b311b260829d7a3\"},\"headline\":\"What to know about chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-06-24T13:00:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-12T17:05:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1738,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/Blog_062420_Prevent-kidney-disease.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Chronic disease\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health Education\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/\",\"name\":\"Chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/Blog_062420_Prevent-kidney-disease.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-06-24T13:00:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-12T17:05:25+00:00\",\"description\":\"It\u2019s hard to detect in its early stages, but there are steps you can take to prevent chronic kidney disease and avoid renal damage if you have kidney problems.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/Blog_062420_Prevent-kidney-disease.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/02\\\/Blog_062420_Prevent-kidney-disease.png\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Kidney Disease and How to Prevent It (picture of kidney beans)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/chronic-kidney-disease\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What to know about chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Checkup, a health blog by SingleCare\",\"description\":\"Read the latest in prescription, wellness, and healthcare news\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"SingleCare\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/placeholderimage-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/placeholderimage-1.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630,\"caption\":\"SingleCare\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/singlecare\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/SingleCare\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/singlecare\\\/?hl=en\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/singlecare\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCd9kiPIjCQw95-2BHCYePKA\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1161f46727b9ae4f5b311b260829d7a3\",\"name\":\"Rohit Shingate\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7402eddb11651a171de2911edc646540921abd2115db49ce39da1dd2f08613ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g335c6477d13b684dbf7d4995ea18032c\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7402eddb11651a171de2911edc646540921abd2115db49ce39da1dd2f08613ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7402eddb11651a171de2911edc646540921abd2115db49ce39da1dd2f08613ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Rohit Shingate\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.singlecare.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/rshingate\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)","description":"It\u2019s hard to detect in its early stages, but there are steps you can take to prevent chronic kidney disease and avoid renal damage if you have kidney problems.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Understanding chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)","og_description":"It\u2019s hard to detect in early stages, but these tips will help avoid renal damage","og_url":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/","og_site_name":"The Checkup","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/singlecare","article_published_time":"2020-06-24T13:00:59+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-12T17:05:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_062420_Prevent-kidney-disease.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Sarah Bradley","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Understanding chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)","twitter_description":"It\u2019s hard to detect in early stages, but these tips will help avoid renal damage","twitter_creator":"@SingleCare","twitter_site":"@SingleCare","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sarah Bradley","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/"},"author":{"name":"Rohit Shingate","@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1161f46727b9ae4f5b311b260829d7a3"},"headline":"What to know about chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)","datePublished":"2020-06-24T13:00:59+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-12T17:05:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/"},"wordCount":1738,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_062420_Prevent-kidney-disease.png","keywords":["Chronic disease"],"articleSection":["Health Education"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/","url":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/","name":"Chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_062420_Prevent-kidney-disease.png","datePublished":"2020-06-24T13:00:59+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-12T17:05:25+00:00","description":"It\u2019s hard to detect in its early stages, but there are steps you can take to prevent chronic kidney disease and avoid renal damage if you have kidney problems.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_062420_Prevent-kidney-disease.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_062420_Prevent-kidney-disease.png","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"Kidney Disease and How to Prevent It (picture of kidney beans)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/chronic-kidney-disease\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What to know about chronic kidney disease (and how to prevent it)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/","name":"The Checkup, a health blog by SingleCare","description":"Read the latest in prescription, wellness, and healthcare news","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"SingleCare","url":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/placeholderimage-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/placeholderimage-1.jpg","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"SingleCare"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/singlecare","https:\/\/x.com\/SingleCare","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/singlecare\/?hl=en","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/singlecare\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCd9kiPIjCQw95-2BHCYePKA"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1161f46727b9ae4f5b311b260829d7a3","name":"Rohit Shingate","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7402eddb11651a171de2911edc646540921abd2115db49ce39da1dd2f08613ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g335c6477d13b684dbf7d4995ea18032c","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7402eddb11651a171de2911edc646540921abd2115db49ce39da1dd2f08613ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7402eddb11651a171de2911edc646540921abd2115db49ce39da1dd2f08613ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Rohit Shingate"},"url":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/author\/rshingate\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/93"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12083"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=12083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}