The kidneys are "bean-shaped" and are located in the posterior part of the abdomen. The kidneys filter waste and toxins from the blood. They regulate blood volume and pressure by adjusting the rate of filtration. The kidneys are vital; diseases affecting kidneys are a serious threat to a person's health. In kidney disease, vitamins may be beneficial in treating certain symptoms.
Causes of Renal Disease
Renal disease may be caused by a prolonged decrease in blood flow to the kidneys as a result of blood loss or blood vessel constriction. Heart disease often affects the heart's ability to adequately pump blood; this decreases blood flow to the kidneys. Drugs such as NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, penicillin and cephalosporins can also damage the kidneys. Diabetes, kidney stones and urinary tract infections may also cause renal disease.
Signs and Symptoms of Renal Disease
Renal disease is often associated with a decrease in urine volume and a change in urine color. A person with renal disease may also have tenderness when pressure is applied to the back. Fever is often present when the cause is infection.
Complications
Renal disease can result in renal failure. The decreased output of urine from the kidney leads to volume overload; increased volume of blood leads to congestive heart failure. Renal disease also delays excretion of electrolytes and wastes from the blood, thereby causing their accumulation in the blood. A person with renal disease can experience changes in mental status as a result of toxic build-up in the blood.
Vitamins in Kidney Disease
Vitamin D is activated by the kidneys; kidney disease interferes with vitamin D activation, thereby leading to inadequate calcium absorption in the intestines. Supplementation of vitamin D at doses of 800 IUs, or international units, per day is sufficient in preventing bone loss. Kidney disease is also associated with increased calcium loss in urine; the increased loss and decreased absorption of calcium make vitamin D supplementation important. Bleeding is also a problem in kidney disease, therefore iron should be supplemented.
