Renal Health – Are you at risk for Kidney Disease?

3 min read

Your kidneys are relatively small in size compared to the rest of your body, but they have a vital role in your day-to-day life. Without properly functioning kidneys, you can expect to experience a variety of unpleasant symptoms including lethargy, confusion, swelling, and an irregular heartbeat that could potentially lead to sudden death. It can be hard to tell if you’re prone to kidney trouble, which is why we’re sharing the potential risk factors as well as the ideal time to get a test on the books!

Chronic kidney disease occurs when the kidneys cannot filter blood as well as they should. Due to the inefficiency of damaged kidneys, excess waste and fluids remain in the body and issues develop as a result. Unfortunately, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common among adults in the United States – affecting up to 15% of the population. On top of that, 96% of people with kidney damage or reduced function are completely unaware of their condition. Over time, CKD can lead to kidney failure… which can land you on dialysis, on a waiting list for a kidney transplant, or worse.

It’s important to make the health of your kidneys a priority, especially as you get older. Risk factors include:

Diabetes
Smoking
High blood pressure
Obesity
Old age
Family history of kidney disease
Certain ethnicities have a higher risk of developing kidney problems

Without getting tested, it’s nearly impossible to know how healthy your kidneys are. It’s time to schedule a test if you –

Have never had your kidney functions tested
Have any of the listed risk factors
Are over 35 and have not been tested in the last few years

A Kidney Function Test is a quick and easy blood test that will allow your doctor to evaluate and monitor your kidney function. It only takes a few minutes and with LabFinder, scheduling your appointment is simple! Just log in to the site, enter your location and insurance information and pick a date and time.

Schedule Your Renal Function Panel

LabFinder is a no-cost, online platform for people to easily schedule their medical tests and view results securely. The LabFinder team is passionate about improving the ‘patient and doctor experience’ through better communication, reduce out-of-pocket expenses and making everyone know more about their own medical tests. The mission of LabFinder is simple: we want to be solution to you and get you the test results you deserve so you can make right choices about your health.