HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, KIDNEYS

CAMILLA FOSTER LEARNS HOW TO PROTECT ONE OF THE BODY'S MOST VITAL ORGANS

- By CAMILLA FOSTER

AS WE age, our kidneys - the organs responsible for filtering waste from the blood and maintaining fluid balance - often don’t get the attention they deserve.

Yet, kidney function can naturally decline over time, and certain conditions become more likely with age. The trouble is, these issues often develop slowly and without obvious symptoms, making them easy to miss until they're more advanced.

Here Fiona Loud, policy director at charity Kidney Care UK, highlights three common kidney problems that frequently affect older adults and offers a wealth of practical advice on how to protect your kidney health as you grow older.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD)

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects approximately one in 10 people in the UK, according to Kidney Care UK.

While it can occur at any age, the charity's website states that it's more common in adults over the age of 60.

This is partly due to the fact that kidney function tends to decline with age. This is a normal part of ageing, though the rate of decline can vary between individuals.

“Kidneys filter your blood every minute of the day, they help regulate your blood pressure, support bone health and help make red blood cells - but, kidney function, like most of all of our body functions, will gradually decline as we get older,” explains Fiona.

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of CKD.

“If you have either of these conditions, over time they can put extra pressure on your blood vessels in your kidneys which can take it out on your kidney function,” says Fiona.