Page 45 - Prevention - USA (April 2020)

Keep ’Em Happy
1 What They Do 3
As blood passes you have the right bal- Every year after your 30th
through these bean- ance of water, salts, birthday, your kidneys lose
shaped organs, which and minerals (electro- a little bit of their filtering
sit toward the back of lytes) in your blood, power. “By itself, that almost
your abdomen, it is says Michal Melamed, never causes problems,”
scrubbed of cellular M.D., an associate says Donna Hanes, M.D., a
waste products. Your professor of medicine clinical associate professor
kidneys handle about and epidemiology at the University of Maryland
half a cup of blood and population health School of Medicine. But
per minute! They also at Albert Einstein high blood pressure, obesity,
put out hormones that College of Medicine. and diabetes can cause
control red blood cell Because electrolytes serious kidney issues. Smart
production, vitamin D, help maintain muscle kidney moves:
and blood pressure. and nerve function, • Keep your BP in a healthy
When they are unable lots can go wrong if range through exercise and
to filter your blood your kidneys slack a nutritious diet.
(which can happen as off: Too little of the • Drink plenty of water to help
you age or if you have mineral potassium flush out excess minerals that
an infection or other can cause cramping, can ball up and create kidney
kidney damage) or fail twitching, or muscle stones. (They’re not just a
to properly produce weakness, while guy problem—about one
hormones, blood too much sodium in 10 women under 70 will
pressure can soar. The may lead to foot and develop them.)
pair also ensure that ankle swelling. • Don’t smoke or drink
a lot of alcohol. Smoking can
slow blood flow, while alco-
2 Why Just One Is OK hol dehydrates the body.

We usually have two kidneys, but it’s not • Avoid long-term use of
essential to have both. In fact, about one in painkillers. After 10 days,
1,000 people is born with only one kidney and aspirin and ibuprofen can
leads a long, healthy life. Also, many people limit blood flow to the
opt to give a kidney to someone in need. In that kidneys and cause harm.
case, the newly solo kidney will develop bigger • Treat a urinary tract
filters to take on the larger load. But folks infection (UTI) right away.
who have one kidney are at a higher risk of It could make its way up
hypertension and kidney disease later in life, to the kidneys, creating
so it’s especially important for them to have scarring, and raise your
regular checkups. risk for kidney disease.

A P R I L 2020 • PREVENTION.COM 43