kidney disease

The role of the kidneys

The kidneys work like filters which remove waste and excess water from the blood before it flows back to the heart. The kidneys filters roughly 190 litres of blood per day.¹

This filtering process by the kidneys plays a number of functions in the body:¹

They remove waste products (like urea and creatinine) and excess substances (such as water, electrolytes, and toxins) from the blood.
They regulate fluid levels by adjusting urine production.
They control electrolytes (or salts, like sodium, potassium, calcium, etc.) to maintain proper balance to ensure proper functioning of nerves, muscles and the heart.
They help regulate blood pressure by adjusting blood volume and blood vessel constriction.
They produce a substance which stimulates the bone marrow to create red blood cells.

A number of health conditions can cause damage to the kidneys, often slowly over a period of time. The kidneys gradually lose their ability to properly filter the blood, until you need medical intervention to help your body filter your blood to remove the built-up waste and excess water – this is called Chronic Kidney Disease.^2,3

How common is Chronic Kidney Disease?

Globally, up to 1 in 10 people may have Chronic Kidney Disease.⁴

In South Africa, Chronic Kidney Disease is slightly less common, with up to 1 in 12 people diagnosed with the condition.⁴

The prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease is growing, and it is projected to become the world’s 5^th most common chronic disease by 2040.⁵

Kidney Failure Risk Checker

How do you know if you are at risk of kidney disease? Check some of the common symptoms or take the Risk Checker test.

Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease

The stages of Chronic Kidney Disease are determined by how well your kidneys are filtering your blood, measured over at least 3 months.⁶

Adapted from Evans M, et al., 2022.

Stage 1

Normal function

Stage 2

Mild loss of function

Stage 3

Moderate loss of function

Stage 4

Severe loss of function

Stage 5

Kidney failure

Kidney failure means that your kidneys have lost most of their ability to function, with less than 15 % of normal kidney function.³

Of all patients diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease, close to 80 % have Stage 3-5 disease. The reason for this is that very few people experience symptoms during the early stages and is therefore not diagnosed.⁶