Videos on Chronic Kidney Disease

Healthy kidneys play an essential role in your overall health by filtering your blood and removing wastes and excess fluids from your body. Symptoms of chronic kidney failure are often silent, meaning you may not know there is a problem with your kidneys until they are close to failure. Here, John Roberts, MD, a nephrologist at Duke Health, talks about what you can do to keep your kidneys healthy, who should get screened for chronic kidney disease, and options for treatment.

People with kidney failure might believe that their best -- and perhaps only -- treatment option is dialysis. But Duke kidney transplant specialist John Roberts, MD, wants you to know that there is an alternative. A kidney transplant provides a longer and better quality of life than dialysis, and it can be a reality for most people with kidney failure. “I want people to think about what will give them not only the longest life, but the best life.”

If you are suffering from chronic kidney disease or are at risk for developing the condition, making a few lifestyle changes can help you preserve your current kidney function. Here, Crystal Tyson, MD, a nephrologist at Duke Health, explains explains how managing diabetes and high blood pressure and making other healthy choices can ward off or slow the progression of this deadly disease.