Heart & Kidney Health

Heart Health Starts with Kidney Care

Taking care of your kidneys is an important part of protecting your heart and overall health. Much like teamwork keeps a community running smoothly, the heart and kidneys work together as a team to keep your body functioning properly. When one is not working as it should, the other is affected.

To better understand heart health, it helps to take a brief detour and learn about kidney disease and the essential role the kidneys play on this complex team.

What Do the Kidneys Do?

Most people have two kidneys. They are bean-shaped organs located in the mid-upper back, one on each side of your spine. While many people know that kidneys help filter waste from the blood and turn it into urine, their job goes far beyond that.

Your kidneys help:

• Control blood pressure
• Balance fluids in the body
• Maintain healthy levels of electrolytes like sodium and potassium
• Support bone health
• Respond to hormones that regulate important body functions

Another remarkable feature of the kidneys is their ability to compensate for one another. If one kidney is not working as well, the other can often work harder to keep things running smoothly, much like a supportive teammate stepping up when needed. However, this is not sustainable.

What Happens When the Kidneys Begin To Fail?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) develops slowly and often without obvious symptoms at first. Because the kidneys can compensate for early damage, many people don’t realize there is a problem until the disease has progressed.

When symptoms do appear, they can include:

• High blood pressure
• Swelling in the legs or feet from fluid buildup
• Fatigue or low energy

Because these symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for other conditions, CKD often goes undiagnosed without regular medical checkups.

How Do I Know If My Kidneys Are Not Working Well?

Kidney function is commonly monitored using several tests, including a blood test that estimates how well the kidneys are filtering waste. This measurement is called the estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR.

The eGFR helps healthcare providers group kidney function into stages, from Stage 1 (mild kidney disease) to Stage 5 (kidney failure). A 2025 study led by Dr. Jingyi Gong, a research fellow at the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Cardiology found that chronic kidney disease affects about 1 in 6 United States adults with cardiometabolic conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes. Despite this, only a small number of people in the study knew they had “weak” or failing kidneys. These findings highlight a major opportunity to improve awareness, early detection, and proper management of chronic kidney disease. “Finding kidney problems early helps patients take action sooner — by managing risk factors and starting medications that protect the kidneys before more damage occurs,” commented Dr. Gong.

How Can I Prevent CKD or Slow Its Progression?

Whether you are trying to prevent kidney disease or slow its progression, there are several steps within your control:

• Manage blood pressure
• Control blood sugar, especially if you have diabetes
• Keep cholesterol levels in check

These goals can be achieved through:

• Healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating nutritious foods, staying physically active, limiting alcohol, avoiding smoking, and reducing processed foods
• Taking medications as prescribed by your healthcare provider, when needed

Above all, having a trusted primary care provider and seeing them regularly is one of the most effective ways to protect your kidney health. Early detection and timely treatment can make a significant difference in preventing complications and preserving your health.