Detonating obesity for kidney damage

• May 3, 2024

Take care of the level of glucose in blood, attend periodic medical check-ups, carry a diet balanced and perform at least 30 minutes per day of physical activity , are some recommendations that specialists from Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) suggest to avoid focal glomerulosclerosis Y segmental , badly directly associated with the obesity . It is a renal disease aggressive that implies an accumulation of fats and other waste of the human body in the kidneys and that for its treatment requires dialysis . In this regard, the doctor José Ángel Fonseca Alva, nephrologist in charge of the hemodialysis service of the Regional General Hospital of the IMSS, indicated that the signs to detect this condition are proteinuria (foamy urine), hypertension , decrease in weight and appetite, among others. These signs, he said, can be presented together as nephrotic syndrome which is characterized by a triad: alteration of fats, either by cholesterol or triglycerides elevated (dyslipidemia); swelling of feet, legs and hands (edema) and proteinuria above 3.5 grams of protein in 24-hour urine. Data of the World Health Organization (WHO), indicate that the obesity increased to 75% in the general population and this has conditioned a risk factor to develop the chronic kidney disease , so it is estimated that approximately 30% of patients with overweight they can develop renal failure. For diagnosis, explained the nephrologist, it is necessary to make a renal biopsy to corroborate the presence of the disease. As a complementary study a 24-hour urine sample is taken and the amount of proteins that have been expelled is determined, in order to know in which state of kidney disease the patient is. For your treatment, Social Security specialists offer two alternatives: a nutritional program, to carry a diet balanced and perform physical activity , in order to achieve the ideal weight: "When the patient already has kidney damage, he is given pharmacological treatment to control the main risk factors and thus delay the progression of the disease. The medications prescribed will be antihypertensive, which help reduce the blood pressure and at the same time they prevent the kidney from discarding proteins. " Fonseca Alva recommended the population to control the risk factors (glucose, uric acid , cholesterol , blood pressure , hypertension ), to slow down the progression of kidney damage and thus have a better quality of life. Therefore, the ideal is to have healthy eating habits. See note .

What is more important to you: eat what you enjoy or modify your diet, to live more years with quality of life?