The kidney is an important metabolic organ and a silent "detoxification" organ. When it is damaged, people usually do not feel obvious discomfort.
This results in chronic kidney disease being highly insidious in its early stages.
When chronic kidney disease enters the middle stage of the disease, it progresses very rapidly and causes great harm in the late stage. Therefore, chronic kidney disease is also called the "silent killer."
March 14th is the 19th "World Kidney Day". Our reporter interviewed Tong Anrong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a member of the Peasants' and Workers' Party, and the director of the Ningxia Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Nephrology, to hear experts explain what diseases will cause chronic kidney disease in today's high incidence. Affect kidney health?
How should we take good care of our kidneys?
Tong Anrong, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, member of the Peasants' and Workers' Party, and director of Ningxia Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Nephrology.
Photo provided by interviewee
What diseases are associated with chronic kidney disease?
Chronic kidney disease is a chronic kidney structural and functional disorder caused by various reasons (history of kidney damage > 3 months). It is a refractory clinical syndrome with a long course, complex pathogenesis, and diverse lesions. It has a high prevalence It has the characteristics of high infection rate, low awareness rate, and high death and disability rate after illness.
In my country, the number of people suffering from chronic kidney disease exceeds 100 million, and the incidence rate is as high as 10.8%.
Tong Anrong pointed out that the onset of chronic kidney disease is closely related to conditions such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, and autoimmune disease renal damage.
"Among the many causes of chronic kidney disease in my country, diabetes is the number one cause." Tong Anrong said.
With the acceleration of the pace of life and the improvement of living standards, the incidence of diabetes and hypertension in my country has increased year by year. The "China Type 2 Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Guidelines (2020 Edition)" shows that the prevalence of diabetes among people over 18 years old in my country has risen to 11.2 %, Tong Anrong emphasized, "If blood sugar is not effectively controlled, diabetic patients will develop diabetic nephropathy in about five years."
Not only that, he also emphasized that hypertension is a cause worthy of public attention. Whether it is essential hypertension or renal hypertension caused by kidney disease, as long as blood pressure remains high, kidney function will gradually decline. .
“Hypertension is a factor that causes the aggravation of all kidney diseases. In clinical practice, controlling blood pressure to the standard is the most important measure to treat various kidney diseases. If blood pressure is not effectively controlled, patients with hypertension will develop high blood pressure in about 5 to 10 years. Hypertensive nephropathy." Tong Anrong added that it is expected that kidney diseases caused by hypertension will become more and more common in the future, and may even surpass glomerulonephritis and become the second leading cause of chronic kidney disease.
The glomerulonephritis mentioned by Tong Anrong, also known as chronic nephritis, includes many types. Among them, the most common ones in my country are IgA nephropathy and membranous nephropathy.
In recent years, although diabetes and hypertension have gradually increased their impact as the main causes of chronic kidney disease in my country, it cannot be ignored that chronic glomerulonephritis is still the leading cause of chronic kidney disease internationally.
In addition to the three major causes of chronic kidney disease, Tong Anrong pointed out: "High blood uric acid often causes uric acid stones and gouty nephropathy; chronic pyelonephritis and recurrent urinary tract infections can retrogradely cause kidney damage; certain tumors in the human body produce Antibodies may cause tumor-related nephropathy in the kidneys; all autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic small vessel vasculitis, etc., can also damage the kidneys."
TCM treatment of chronic kidney disease is well tolerated and safe
Chronic kidney disease has different clinical manifestations at different stages of onset, and "stage 3" is a key node.
"Before stage 3 of chronic kidney disease, patients may have no symptoms, or may only have mild discomfort such as fatigue, backache, and increased nocturia; a few patients may have loss of appetite, metabolic acidosis, and mild anemia." Tong Anrong explained.
However, when chronic kidney disease develops to stage 3, the above symptoms become more obvious and worsen after entering the renal failure stage. Sometimes high blood pressure, heart failure, severe hyperkalemia, acid-base balance disorder, gastrointestinal symptoms, Symptoms such as anemia, abnormal mineral bone metabolism, hyperparathyroidism, and central nervous system disorders can even be life-threatening.
Tong Anrong has long been concerned about the research on the theories and methods of traditional Chinese medicine in treating kidney disease. In his view, chronic kidney disease is a major disease that seriously endangers human health. Traditional Chinese medicine should determine corresponding treatment principles based on different clinical manifestations and different examination results of chronic kidney disease. Prescriptions.
Taking proteinuria in chronic nephritis as an example, Tong Anrong explained, "Chronic nephritis belongs to the categories of 'edema', 'consumption', and 'kidney wind' in traditional Chinese medicine. Protein is a subtle substance in traditional Chinese medicine. It is mostly due to the deficiency of the internal organs and the lack of control." , the subtle substances are lost due to loss of transportation and sealing, and are excreted from the lower orifices to form proteinuria, which is called urinary turbidity in traditional Chinese medicine."
At present, the clinical treatment of chronic nephritis and proteinuria is mostly a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.
When patients take glucocorticoids for a long time and long-term proteinuria leads to protein loss in the body, yin deficiency is the essence of the disease.
"If you just treat with warm and tonic, you will seriously damage the yin and worsen the condition. You should pay attention to the simultaneous nourishment of yin and yang and the balance of yin and yang," Tong Anrong said. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine will use prescriptions such as replenishing qi, strengthening the spleen and kidneys, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and clearing away dampness and heat. To treat chronic nephritis and proteinuria.
Edema is a common symptom of chronic kidney disease. Western medicine usually chooses diuretic treatment, while traditional Chinese medicine pays more attention to comprehensive conditioning of the whole body. Tong Anrong said, "We will use prescriptions such as dispersing wind and lungs, diuresis and dampness; replenishing qi and strengthening the spleen, diuresis and dampness, etc." , to treat chronic kidney disease edema and relieve clinical symptoms.”
After long-term practice, “More and more studies show that traditional Chinese medicine treats chronic kidney disease and has excellent results in improving patients’ TCM syndromes, reducing urinary protein, protecting renal function, and reducing the toxic and side effects of hormones and cytotoxic drugs. It has certain advantages in terms of treatment effect, delaying disease progression and alleviating related complications, and it has good tolerance and safety." Tong Anrong said.
Tong Anrong visits the clinic.
Photo provided by interviewee
"No sustained damage" is the best health care for the kidneys
How to prevent and deal with chronic kidney disease?
Tong Anrong suggested: Everyone should pay attention to kidney physical examination, especially urine routine, kidney function and other tests, so that chronic kidney disease can be discovered, diagnosed and intervened early to delay the progression of chronic kidney disease. At the same time, hospitals should standardize the treatment and end-stage kidney disease. Replacement treatment for renal failure, reducing patients’ risk of death.
Although chronic kidney disease seems not far away from everyone, the public does not need to worry too much.
Tong Anrong explained: "Human kidneys have strong compensatory capabilities. As long as the kidneys are not continuously damaged, it is the best health care for them."
In terms of diet, eating habits of low fat and moderate protein can protect the kidneys. Tong Anrong pointed out, “On the one hand, the human body’s demand for nutrients such as protein is certain, and it does not need too rich nutrients; on the other hand, we The commonly mentioned metabolic waste products such as creatinine, urea nitrogen, and uric acid are all metabolites of protein foods such as meat and seafood. These high-protein foods will burden the metabolism of the kidneys."
In addition, eating a low-salt diet and drinking more water can increase urine output and reduce the concentration of drugs and metabolic waste products (such as uric acid) in the kidneys, thereby reducing damage to the kidneys.
For patients with chronic kidney disease, strict control of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high blood lipids and high uric acid is the best kidney-preserving measure.
In Tong Anrong's view, no matter what kind of disease, early detection will have a good treatment effect.
If you are sick, you need to seek medical treatment in time to avoid drug abuse.
He suggested that in the future, the prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease should be elevated to a national strategic level, medical staff should standardize the diagnosis and treatment process, the general public should pay more attention to kidney health, and the media should increase the publicity of science knowledge and invest more resources in kidney prevention and treatment. Coming from the project.
(End) (Reported by Liu Yiling, author of "China News")