Category Archives: Kundan Kidney Care Centre

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre

Raising Kidney Patient Hemoglobin Levels Can be Risky

It’s well-known that Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) reduces the ability of the kidneys to help make red blood cells. As a result, people with diseased kidneys can often become anemic. And since red blood cells carry oxygen through the body, this may then lead to oxygen starvation, causing all sorts of symptoms from shortness of breath to cardiovascular problems.

For this reason, doctors have always been encouraged to use stimulating agents to help raise the hemoglobin levels of kidney patients. But the latest guideline offered by Great Britain’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) adds a cautionary note about the levels of hemoglobin doctors should aim for. The reason, they say, is that in this case, there can actually be too much of a good thing.

Anemic kidney patients obviously receive considerable benefit from having their hemoglobin levels brought back up. But according to NICE researchers, there is a specified upper limit above which these levels should not go. If hemoglobin rises above them, rather than experiencing even greater health benefits, these patients could face certain new risks. Such risks might include strokes or blood clots.

The new guidelines released by NICE on February 9, 2011, address many issues about managing anemia in kidney patients. For example, doctors need to take into account how active the patients might be in their daily work. They might also accept slightly higher than recommended levels of hemoglobin if no other factors suggest a risk of cardiovascular problems.

But on the whole, the NICE guidelines recommend that physicians stay pretty much within the suggested upper and lower hemoglobin levels. Doctors need to take  into account the conditions their patients have already developed and risks they know already exist; Keeping these in mind, they must then should monitor their hemoglobin treatments to ensure new health risks are not introduced into the lives of the patients.

(National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, on the new Guidelines, February 9, 2011)

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Mammograms and Kidney Disease Detection

A familiar method that doctors use to check for possible breast cancer turns out to be another way of checking the effects of kidney disease as well. Researchers have studied women receiving mammograms, and discovered that some of these effects manifest themselves in breast arteries. They show up in other arteries as well, but unless other parts of the body are similarly scanned, they won’t be noticed.

What some mammograms show is deposits of calcium left in the arteries. This calcification is a typical result of kidney disease, and if it increases, it can lead to cardiovascular disease as well. The progress of the calcium deposits can be studied over the months and years, as doctors assess the possible risks to the heart and lungs.
A happy coincidence — if you can properly call it that — is that women reach the age of needing mammograms at about the same time they would be manifesting kidney disease if they’re going to get it. Many of those who show calcification in the arteries will probably already know they have kidney problems. Yet in some cases, what shows on the mammogram may be their first hint.

Mammograms may not be the best diagnostic tools when it comes to kidney disease itself. There are many other more reliable tests for that. But these procedures can certainly help to keep track of some of the effects of the disease.

And more than that, having a fairly early indication of the calcification in the arteries can serve as a warning of a growing risk of cardiovascular disease. With this extra tool, doctors can be alerted and perhaps take steps to try to prevent things from going that far. In yet another example of the interconnectedness of the body’s systems, using a tool designed to detect one ailment may help in detecting or even preventing others.

(For more information, read Proven Method of Cancer Detection Found Effective in Kidney Disease, January 25, 2010)

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre

Tips for Getting That Recommended Exercise

So you are a kidney patient and your doctor advises you to get some exercise, to keep as fit as possible and help your condition as much as you can. You’re planning on bike rides, three or four times a week. Naturally you know that you can’t overdo it, but what sorts of things should you keep in mind as you get started?

If you are on dialysis, you may work at a lower level than otherwise, but there is still much you can do. All kidney patients should begin with gradual stretching to warm up. Dialysis in particular can create possible thigh problems, so ease slowly into your exercise session. After you’ve increased your pace for a while, slow down again and ease out of the session just as carefully.
Exercise every other day, three times a week, in the morning if possible, though evening will also do. The main thing is to avoid the hottest part of the day. Be sure not to exercise just before bedtime, or you might not sleep that well. Give yourself at least an hour to wind down afterwards. And if you don’t feel completely normal an hour after exercising — whenever you do it — then you’re working yourself too hard.

Those in the know suggest that if you are exercising so hard that you’re unable to talk with someone while you do it, you’re overdoing things. Always monitor your own condition during the exercising, and after it’s over. Walking, swimming, and cycling are good exercises, and you can even lift weights, if you start small and slowly work up to higher levels.

Having kidney disease does not mean you must stop everything. In fact, that will only lessen your body’s strength and make it less able to cope with the disease. If you exercise in a way that doesn’t push too hard, your general health will only benefit.

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Even With a Kidney Transplant, it’s Still Not Over

There are so many reasons we should maintain our health to prevent kidney disease in the first place, or maintain as much health as possible after contracting the disease. But if kidney failure progresses so far that a transplant occurs, most people would expect that the surgery solves everything. With a lower rate of organ rejection than ever before, almost all transplant recipients should finally rest easy that health problems related to diseased kidneys are over. Right?

Unfortunately, that may not be entirely true.
Over time, more than half of all kidney transplant recipients develop endocrinal, or hormonal, problems. These can lead to later health issues such as diabetes, higher cholesterol levels, and even osteoporosis. Kidney patients may feel that it’s just not fair, to be at risk of something like diabetes because of failing kidneys, and then be at risk for the same thing after that problem was supposedly rectified.

The reasons for these risks stem in part from the procedures connected with the transplant itself. Immunosuppressants are given to transplant patients to help the body not reject the new organ. But these suppressants include drugs that can reduce the body’s ability to make insulin. By some accounts, as many as one-quarter of kidney transplant patients develop diabetes some time after their surgery.

Other complications may involve leptin levels. Leptins help to regulate appetite, but researchers have recognized another correlation in which they are involved. In transplant patients, when leptin levels are high, bone production appears to be reduced, meaning the possible development of osteoporosis.

Transplantation can save lives, but it’s not the ideal solution to kidney disease. The real solution should be for people to be in excellent health before any disease can develop. And if it does occur, they need to try to heal the kidneys and maintain the best health possible in the meantime.

(Further reading: The Times of India, January 6, 2011; RxPG News, December 27, 2010)

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Physical Fitness Improves Kidney Disease Outcomes

It may seem a little unfair to talk to patients with kidney disease, especially those on dialysis, about how physically fit they are, when they’ve already got so much to deal with. It may be tempting for them to feel that they need to keep quiet and relaxed so they don’t strain anything. But keeping as fit as possible can actually help their condition.

We already know that interconnections in the body mean that if you have one physical problem, like diabetes, you have a higher likelihood of developing others such as hypertension or kidney failure. In the same way, strengthening the body to deal with or prevent one problem can ease a related problem. So a person may find that by getting some exercise they will lower their blood pressure and perhaps lose some weight. This, in turn, will ease the strain on the kidneys. And having good muscle tone and a well functioning cardiovascular system will always be of benefit.

The National Kidney Foundation recommends exercise for kidney patients, but also recognizes that they shouldn’t overdo things. It’s probably not a wise move, for example, to plan a climbing excursion to Mount Everest. But after consultation with a doctor, these patients can engage in certain recommended activities. Heavy lifting is probably out, but there are other things that can be done, some of them fairly strenuous.

For example, a type of workout that exercises a large array of muscle groups at once, and goes on continuously, can be very beneficial. This would include things like swimming, walking, cycling, or even skiing. Exercise sessions should go perhaps 30-45 minutes, every second day, three days a week.

Kidney patients may be uneasy about the extra work they might make their bodies do by exercising. But under a doctor’s supervision, getting themselves in as good a shape as possible will only do them good.

(Further reading: National Kidney Foundation)

Categories Kundan Kidney Care Centre

Our Products

The herbs in our products are carefully chosen and have known safety profiles. We have avoided inclusion of any chemicals, steroids and metals, which might pose risks. You may continue taking prescription drugs that are recommended by your nephrologist however, if you wish to start our treatment you must stop all other herbal/homeopathic or any other supplements.

We at KKCC are committed to producing the finest high potency herbal products possible. We buy herbs from there indigenous regions to ensure that the proper climate, soil and water crucial to the content of active ingredients are present, as most herbs indigenous to one region cannot have the same content if grown in another region. We buy herbs that are harvested at the proper time to ensure optimum potency of the active ingredients in each herb.

Once the herbs arrive at the manufacturing plant, it is examined macroscopically and microscopically by the Master Pharmacist. All products are manufactured under the GMP certification guidelines to ensure the highest effectiveness and almost eliminate the potential of side effects.

Our products are tested twice, once by our supplier and then by an independent third party lab. Additional tests are also performed to ensure that our products are absolutely free of any heavy metals, steroids or chemicals.

Our products are produced and marketed in the form of capsules and tablets.

Categories Kidney Diet, Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre

Kidney Disease and Packaged Foods

Nephrologists in India have concluded that one thing those with kidney disease should avoid is packaged foods. And needless to say, this precaution doesn’t just apply to India. Pre-packaged foods, full of preservatives and other chemicals, are prevalent all over the world. So this caution applies in many other countries as well.

Doctor K.C. Prakash, a senior consulting nephrologist for the Apollo Hospitals in India, reminds people of the bad effects from some of these extra chemicals in packaged food. He notes that one effect of eating a lot of this food is an increase of potassium in the body. Those suffering from chronic kidney disease or renal failure have less ability to eliminate potassium. Therefore, if they accumulate too much potassium, it could result in heart problems or outright heart failure.

Another problem with packaged food is that it tends to be much saltier than freshly cooked food. Extra salt is one thing that helps preserve these meals, after all, to extend their shelf life. Yet it’s a well-proven fact that too much salt can cause or worsen hypertension (high blood pressure), which also puts a strain on the kidneys.

There are other substances in these foods, such as phosphorus, that cause problems with other parts of the body. But for people in renal failure or even in the early stages of kidney disease, the salt and extra potassium alone should be enough to set off alarm bells. Checking labels to find the actual contents in packaged food can be a real eye-opener.

These cautions are helpful for both kidney patients and those with healthy kidneys. Eating fresh, healthy foods is almost always recommended for achieving or maintaining good health. This information about how packaged foods can affect people with kidney disease just provides one more reason.

(Further information: Times of India, December 29, 2010)

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Lupus and Kidney Disease may be a Deadly Combination

Kidney disease is related to a great many other diseases and conditions, the most common being high blood pressure and heart and stroke problems. But another condition it’s often linked with is lupus. And for those who have both lupus and kidney disease, the prognosis is unfortunately not good.

Systemic lupus erathymatosus, usually just called lupus, causes damage to the skin, joints, brain, and also to the kidneys. In fact, according to an article on the HealthDay website (Kidney Disease Could Be More Deadly for Kids With Lupus, Friday December 17, 2010), about eighty percent of children with lupus also suffer kidney damage. But whether it’s adults or children who have end-stage kidney disease caused by lupus, all have a higher likelihood of death from any cause than those who have the same kidney problems stemming from a different source.

Researchers from both Johns Hopkins University and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia studied the cases of 98,000 children, and this conclusion is what the evidence suggested. Children were 2.4 times more likely to die, when suffering from kidney disease caused by lupus, than children whose disease was caused by something else. Adults had a slightly better record, yet they were still almost twice as many times more likely to die.

While many causes seemed to lead to death for people with kidney disease caused by lupus, the most common cause, according to the study, seemed to be cardiovascular disease and cardiac arrest. For this reason, the researchers suggest that patients with the lupus-kidney combination probably need extra monitoring for atherosclerosis, or the thickening of the walls of the arteries. And when kidney patients are also diagnosed with lupus, that should send up a red flag of warning, so doctors can be more alert to the increased risks of death.

The study, entitled Increased risk of death in pediatric and adult patients with ESRD secondary to lupus, is published in the January 2011 issue of the journal, Pediatric Nephrology.

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

E. Coli and Kidney Problems

Sometimes a person’s kidneys are adversely affected not just by their own lifestyle, but by illnesses they have little control over. One example was recently discussed in an article in the online version of the British Medical Journal. Several researchers analyzed information from the Walkerton Health Study. This study followed the  health of citizens of the Canadian town of Walkerton, Ontario, after their municipal water system was infected with E. coli O157:H7 in May of 2000. Almost two thousand people who had contracted gastroenteritis at the time were monitored for several years.

The results indicated a higher likelihood of experiencing high blood pressure, heart problems, and renal impairment for those who had been infected and developed gastroenteritis symptoms than for those who had not. The risk of high blood pressure was 1.3 times higher, the chance of having either a stroke or heart attack was almost twice as high, and the likelihood of kidney problems was about three times higher.

This analysis is not only pertinent in cases like that of Walkerton, in which E. coli contamination hits an entire community. Most warmblooded organisms have forms of E. coli in their systems, and it is also found in many environments. Most strains are not harmful, but those like O157:H7 can be deadly. The presence of E. coli  often indicates fecal contamination, yet it also enters an environment in other ways.

What this means is that people can contract gastroenteritis from E. coli in ways apart from disasters like that which struck Walkerton. So for those who do encounter these bacteria, whether through mass contamination or in less obvious ways, it is important to monitor their health carefully from that point on. As well as being at a higher risk for blood pressure or heart problems, they will need to be on the watch for potential kidney problems as well.

(Further reading: British Medical Journal, reference BMJ 2010; 341:c6020, November 17, 2010; Medical News Today, November 21, 2010)

Categories Kidney Diet, Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre

Lowering Salt Will Always Help Your Kidneys

The idea seems straightforward when you think of high blood pressure: if you lower your salt intake, you will help to lower the blood pressure, or at least prevent it from getting worse. But the systems in our bodies don’t operate in isolation, and the good you do for one of them is bound to have positive effects in others. This was demonstrated yet again by a review conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration Renal Group.

This group reviewed thirteen studies relating to salt intake in diabetic patients. What they found was not entirely surprising, but the implications of their conclusions are widespread. First of all, they confirmed once again the connection of high salt intake and blood pressure issues. So clearly, diabetics would do well to reduce salt levels in their diet for that reason alone, because this reduction lowers the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and heart failure.

But the evidence gathered in the same studies also reinforces the understanding that high blood pressure is just as hard on the kidneys as on the heart. The studies also suggested that even for people whose blood pressure hasn’t yet inched into the “high” range, lowering salt intake will still have a positive effect on heart and kidney health.

This isn’t necessarily a rule condemning people to a life of tasteless food, however. Removing salt from one’s diet provides the opportunity to discover the natural, intrinsic tastes of food, and to combine these tastes into something that as delicious without needing a salty boost. While easing the blood pressure and helping the heart and kidneys, the lessening of salt might open up a whole new culinary world.

(View the Cochrane Renal Group Summary: Suckling RJ, He FJ, MacGregor GA. Altered dietary salt intake for preventing and treating diabetic kidney disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD006763. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006763.pub2)

(Further reading: PulseToday, December 9, 2010; Nursing Times, December 10, 2010)

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