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Prescription Health: How kidney disease affects the heart

Prescription Health: How kidney disease affects the heart
1 month 1 week 1 day ago Thursday, October 24 2024 Oct 24, 2024 October 24, 2024 7:52 PM October 24, 2024 in Health

Vital organs work together to keep the body healthy, and that connection runs deep. 

When one organ isn't working properly, it can negatively impact the other — leading to more health complications.

The heart and kidneys work together, 24 hours a day, to maintain proper health. The average heart pumps two thousand gallons of blood per day. The kidneys filter about 52 gallons each day.

"The kidney does two major things,” Vanderbilt University Medical Center professor Dr. T. Alp Ikizler said. “One is to clean the toxins that accumulate in the body, as well as the fluid that accumulates in the body, and get rid of them."

The heart then pumps that clean blood throughout the body. But for many people, that cycle is disrupted.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, about 14% of Americans have kidney disease, and about 90% of them may not know it until it's very advanced.

When the kidneys are not functioning properly, toxins and water remain in the blood. That, in turn, forces the heart to work too hard, increasing the risk of heart disease.

Health experts say it goes both ways, as having heart design can impact kidney function. Doctors say early detection is key. Treating and managing one could help prevent the other from developing.

Watch the video above for the full story. 

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