Silent Killer: Why Millions Don't Know They Have Chronic Kidney Disease

More than one in seven U.S. adults are living with chronic kidney disease, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says as many as 90% of them have no idea they have it.

"We've got an epidemic of kidney disease in this country," says Dr. Samir Parikh, president of the American Society of Nephrology.

The condition is called the "silent killer" because it can progress before it's ever detected. When left untreated, chronic kidney disease can cause irreversible damage—even death.

Parikh says kidneys play a crucial role in the body and are closely linked to the heart, constantly filtering and cleaning blood. But when those filters are damaged, it can also strain the heart. And unlike other organs, kidneys don't regenerate. "So the filters we're born with have to last us our lifetime," Parikh says.

Conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity can cause permanent damage to the kidneys. But as it's happening, there's often no pain. "The conditions wind up being very asymptomatic until you get to advanced stages, and even then, the symptoms can just be non-specific like fatigue or loss of appetite," Parikh says.

That's why doctors say if you have risk factors or a family history of kidney disease, it's critical to get your numbers checked. "There's one test that tests how much filtering your kidneys are doing—that's a blood test. And there's another test that asks, are these filters becoming leaky or not working well? That's a urine test," Parikh explains.

The good news: early detection and treatment of kidney disease can significantly slow and even stop damage before it's too late.

Parikh's advice is simple: "Don't wait for symptoms."