CKD has five stages and stage I is the early stage. Because you can halt further kidney damage with diet modification and supportive treatment, patients can live an extra 30 years following their stage I CKD diagnosis.
For a 60-year-old man, stage 1 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. For a 60-year old woman, stage 1 life expectancy is 18 years, while stage 2 is only one year less.
Such a disease is a lifelong condition, and you will need to manage it carefully. It does not automatically lead to death, though. If your chronic kidney disease is diagnosed in the earliest stages, you can prevent it from getting any worse. Many people live for decades with chronic kidney disease.
Stage 1 CKD means you have a normal eGFR of 90 or greater and mild damage to your kidneys. Your kidneys are still working well, so you may not have any symptoms. You may have other signs of kidney damage, such as protein in your urine.
There's no cure for chronic kidney disease. But there are steps you can take to slow kidney damage. Treatments like dialysis and transplantation are options for kidney failure (end-stage kidney disease).
While it's not possible to reverse kidney damage, you can take steps to slow it down. Taking prescribed medicine, being physically active, and eating well will help. You'll also feel better and improve your overall well-being.
Kidney disease progresses at different rates for different people, and it can take between two and five years to pass between different stages. Kidney disease stages are measured by using a blood test to check the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
People with kidney failure may survive days to weeks without dialysis, depending on the amount of kidney function they have, how severe their symptoms are, and their overall medical condition. Is death from kidney failure painful? Not usually. If you do feel any discomfort, pain medication may be prescribed for you.
Exercise may help kidney health
Being active and having a healthy body weight is also important to kidney health. Some studies show kidney function improves with exercise. Talk with your healthcare professional or dietitian if you need to lose weight.
Not all patients have serious issues with the early onset of kidney damage, and most of the patients with CKD may live long without any serious complications. It is estimated that an average person may live for an extra 30 years following diagnosis.
Steps to take at stage 1 kidney disease
Make healthy lifestyle choices—quit smoking, exercise regularly, eat well (a dietitian can help), reduce stress, and get enough sleep. Take all medications as prescribed—and talk to your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications.
It depends on the cause and stage. Getting blood tests to measure your kidney function (creatinine and GFR) can help your doctor see the trend. The poorer the control of you health issues, the faster CKD is likely to progress.
Kidney disease can develop at any time, but those over the age of 60 are more likely than not to develop kidney disease.
His doctor explained that kidney disease in its early stages does not cause symptoms. “Kidney disease doesn't affect your ability to make urine in its early stages, David,” she said. She told him, “In fact, a person can lose a lot of kidney function before symptoms of kidney disease occur.” “But I don't feel any pain.
Without dialysis or a kidney transplant, kidney failure is fatal. You may survive a few days or weeks without treatment. If you're on dialysis, the average life expectancy is five to 10 years. Some people can live up to 30 years on dialysis.
Once the patient reaches end stage renal disease (ESRD), death usually occurs within a few weeks. This can be longer or shorter depending on the patient's overall health, and how much kidney function they have left.
When kidneys are failing, the increased concentration and accumulation of substances in urine lead to a darker color which may be brown, red or purple. The color change is due to abnormal protein or sugar, high levels of red and white blood cells, and high numbers of tube-shaped particles called cellular casts.
The kidneys usually start working again within several weeks to months after the underlying cause has been treated. Dialysis is needed until then. If the kidneys fail completely, the only treatment options available are dialysis for the rest of your life or transplant.
Increases in urine output—urine output is a key indicator of kidney health. While too little or no urine output is a sign of kidney injury or kidney damage, an increase in urine output after AKI or AKF can be a sign that your kidneys are recovering.
Urine Tests
One of the earliest signs of kidney disease is when protein leaks into your urine (called proteinuria). To check for protein in your urine, a doctor will order a urine test.
Changes in urine color, transparency, and smell
A pinkish or reddish hue may indicate the presence of blood in the urine, while a greenish tone could be a sign of a bacterial infection. Cloudy non-transparent urine may be another sign of infection, but it may also suggest an abnormal level of salts in the liquid.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Your health care provider will look at your health history and may do tests to find out why you have kidney disease.