Doctors are trying to acquaint patients with a lesser-known cause of kidney disease so that it can be caught earlier while it is still treatable. A less-familiar form of kidney disease is call hereditary polycystic. Diabetes and hypertension are the two major causes of kidney disease. They cause 67 percent of late-stage kidney disease. Dialysis, which filters toxins from failing kidneys, is one treatment.
Doctors say that the best treatment is a kidney transplant.
Doctors urge adults to get yearly physicals that include a urinalysis to check for kidney disease. Doctors can slow the progression of the disease with early detection. Warning signs of kidney disease include fatigue, decreased urine output, swelling of the legs and feet and decreased weight and appetite. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.