Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide problem that is currently three times higher for African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, American Indians and seniors (The National Kidney Foundation, 2013). CKD occurs when the kidneys are damaged by a pathogen or injury and they can no longer adequately maintain proper levels of regulated chemicals in the bloodstream. There are many risk associated with CKD. According to the National Kidney Foundation, two of the major risks are Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) and Cardiovascular Disease. Currently twenty million American adults have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk. Age has no barrier on getting CKD. People with pre-existing health issues, and a part of certain population groups, are more often than not, likely to develop kidney disease. The main system involved in CKD is the Urinary System; however the Respiratory, Cardiovascular, and Digestive Systems are unfortunately adversely affected. This paper will concentrate on the effects of CKD on the Urinary System, with only brief introductions to the other systems.

Risk factors for CKD involve diabetes; have high blood pressure; have a family history of kidney failure; are older; or belong to a population group that has a high rate of diabetes or high blood pressure, such as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians (The National Kidney Foundation, 2013). Renal failure will occur when the kidneys fail to function properly causing uremia in the blood. The acute condition can swiftly begin, however it is often still manageable. The acute condition can occur in three different states, referred to as Pre, Intra, and Post-renal failure (Phillips, 2013). Pre-renal failure deve...

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