Yes, it's often possible to live 20 years or more with Stage 3 kidney disease, especially if it's well-managed, as life expectancy varies greatly with age, underlying conditions (like diabetes, hypertension), and adherence to treatment, though progression to later stages or complications like heart disease are risks. Many people with Stage 3 CKD live long lives, but Stage 3B poses higher risks, and managing symptoms and risk factors is key to slowing progression and improving outcomes.
Stage 3 is still far from kidney failure, and a diagnosis at this stage can help improve the outlook as treatment can be commenced and the progression monitored carefully. It is possible to stay on CKD stage 3 for years with your kidney disease not progressing to end stage kidney failure.
Doctors treat Stage 3 CKD with medicines that help with your symptoms and related health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
For someone around 60, stage 1 stage 2 kidney disease life expectancy will be approximately 15 years. That figure falls to 13 years, 8 years, and 6 years in the second, third, and fourth stages of kidney disease, respectively.
You may begin to have symptoms, such as feeling weak and tired or swelling in your hands or feet. Stage 3 CKD is split into two substages based on your eGFR: Stage 3a means you have an eFGR between 45 and 59.
Fluid retention, swelling (edema) of extremities and shortness of breath: Urination changes (foamy; dark orange, brown, tea-colored or red if it contains blood; and urinating more or less than normal) Kidney pain felt in their back. Sleep problems due to muscle cramps or restless legs.
Swollen ankles and feet
Decreased kidney function can lead to sodium (salt) retention, causing swelling in your feet and ankles. Swelling in the lower extremities can also be a sign of heart disease, liver disease and chronic leg vein problems.
At 40 years of age, the average life expectancy is: 24.5 years for males with stage 3a CKD. 28.7 years for females with stage 3a CKD.
People with certain kidney disorders (such as interstitial nephritis or kidney damage resulting from sickle cell anemia) may also urinate excessively because these disorders also decrease the amount of fluid reabsorbed by the kidneys. Rarely, urinary frequency is caused by spinal cord injury or disorder.
Treating the cause is key, leading to reduced complications and slowing progression of kidney disease. For example, getting better blood pressure control, improved sugar control and diabetes, and reducing weight are often key interventions.
8 Diet and Nutrition Goals for People with Stage 3 Chronic Kidney...
Treatment for stage 3 chronic kidney disease
Drugs such as Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, Angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) and now sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are effective at reducing further kidney damage and slowing down the progression of CKD.
The top 10 drugs commonly linked to kidney damage
Chronic kidney disease stage 3 means your kidneys are moderately damaged and not working as well as they should. During this stage, your kidneys filter blood less effectively, causing waste products to build up in your body. CKD stage 3 is divided into two sub-stages: Stage 3A: Kidney function is between 45-59%
The protein recommendation for CKD stage 3 is 0.55-0.6 grams of protein per day per kilogram body weight if you do not have diabetes.
The kidneys can often recover from alcohol damage. Studies show that kidney-related problems caused by alcohol may resolve with four weeks of abstinence. While the kidneys can heal quite well once heavy alcohol use is removed, there may be situations where the stress is so great that it causes lasting damage.
Symptoms of sleep disorders associated with kidney disease
Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia) Loud snoring, which is usually more prominent in obstructive sleep apnea.
To strengthen your kidneys, focus on a healthy lifestyle: stay hydrated with water, eat a balanced diet low in salt and processed foods, exercise regularly, avoid smoking and excessive alcohol, manage blood pressure and sugar, limit over-the-counter pain relievers (like NSAIDs), and maintain a healthy weight to support overall kidney function.
You feel kidney pain near the middle of your back, just under your ribcage, on each side of your spine where your kidneys are. Your kidneys are part of the urinary tract, the organs that make and remove urine from the body. (pee). You may feel kidney pain on one or both sides of your back.
In stage 3b CKD, you are at high risk for your CKD getting worse and you are at high risk for heart disease (even if your uACR is lower than 30). As your uACR number goes up, your risks of developing heart disease and CKD progression (worsening) both go up to the highest risk category (as seen in the figure below).
Stage 3 kidney disease means that the kidney's function has been cut by half, and most patients experience ancillary problems like high blood pressure or bone difficulties. A survey of 13 studies on stage 3 kidney disease found that the all-cause mortality rate varied from 6% in 3 years to 51% in ten years.
A recent study found an association between gait abnormality and CKD severity [28], which suggests that gait is already affected in early stages of CKD and not only at stage 5.
It can cause nails to become brittle, split, discolored or uneven. Kidney disease can affect the kidneys' ability to filter out waste products from the bloodstream. This leads to a buildup of nitrogen waste in the body, which can then cause damage to the fingernails and toenails.
A recent study published in PLoS Medicine supports this more nuanced classification, providing further evidence that many older adults with stage 3a A1 CKD will never progress, whereas some may even improve.