Welcome to the first of our Q & A sessions with Alan S. L. Yu, M.D.  Dr. Yu is a practicing nephrologist as well as a professor and scientist with a lab at USC Keck School of Medicine.  Visit  http://ukrocharity.org/about-ukro/medical-scientific-advisory-board/alan-s-l-yu-md/ for more information about Dr. Yu and his research.

Q: So we decided to start with a really simple question.  Can you tell me why we have two kidneys?

A: Actually that is a great question!

Having two kidneys is not essential for adult life. Adults who donate one kidney for transplantation, or who undergo unilateral nephrectomy for some reason, live a normal lifespan and have no increased risk of complications. Thus, we assume that the reason we have two kidneys is so that there is some extra reserve of kidney mass in case we sustain some renal insult (e.g. toxic injury, or traumatic injury).

Having said that, about 1 in 1000 individuals are born with one kidney (unilateral renal agenesis). The limited data available suggest that these individuals have an increased risk of hypertension, proteinuria and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in later life. Whether this is because of the reduced renal mass since birth, or because of some other factor is unclear.

Q: Why exactly is the kidney mass important?

A: The kidney is made up of nephrons, whose job is to filter, secrete and reabsorb solutes and water. More kidney mass = more nephrons.

So there you have it. If you have any questions or comments regarding this Q & A, please post them on our blog or on Facebook and we will get them answered. Special thanks to my friend Karen for suggesting this first question! And if you have a new question you’d like answered, just ask.  We can’t dispense medical advice, but we can certainly enlighten you on the workings of the kidney and kidney disease.

DIARY OF A KIDNEY LOVER

At a party some Sundays ago, a man I’d just met said to me, “You must love kidneys.”  No, I wasn’t slurping them up with fava beans and a nice Chianti.  (I’m a vegetarian, for the record.)  He was referring to my work – the hours I divide between UKRO and DaVita Dialysis.  “You give a lot of time to those lucky organs,” he said.  I admit that sometimes I am “all kidney all the time.”  However, I know I can do more.  And this is how I know.  I like to read the obituaries.  When I come across one eulogizing a lifelong advocate of this or a tireless activist for that, I am particularly inspired.  Here was a person who cared enough to fight for something.  I want to be that kind of person.  I think of some of the dedicated people I have known, past and present – the nurses whose compassion means everything to their patients, the researchers who light up describing the complexity of the kidney.  Dedicated people are not necessarily content.  They keep pushing themselves.  They keep asking themselves how they can do better.

So how can I do better?  How can I do more?

First, I will embrace who I am.  My name is Michelle and I am a kidney lover.  I worked as a DaVita marketing manager for just over 8 years and I continue to work for them as a graphic design consultant.  In my time there, I have guided traveling patients to dialysis centers, have organized and attended trade shows for nephrologists and patients and have worked on ads that I hope attracted a few good nurses and doctors.  For the last 6 months, I have been working with UKRO, learning more about kidney disease than ever before.  That may be because the disease is suddenly personal.  My uncle, who is diabetic, started dialysis barely a year ago.  And I know way too many diabetics who are at increased risk for kidney disease.

Second, I will raise awareness about this devastating and, in many cases, preventable disease.  I will blog about kidney disease, sharing personal stories and the latest news about research, causes, prevention, treatment, diet, whatever I see and hear.

Third, I will make a donation to UKRO.  It takes a lot of money and time to make a medical breakthrough, but it does happen.  Every dollar helps.  Small grants help researchers take their work to the next level so they can get even bigger government grants.  With more dollars come more researchers, more ideas, more approaches to a cure.

I am taking a little break from writing this blog, going to our website, clicking on the Donate Now button.

There!  It’s done.  That was easy.  I hope that you’ll join me.

Now I am ready to make it official.  I am updating my Facebook status today:  Yes, I am a kidney lover!

NephrOnline, Nephrology News and Issues
April 16, 2010
Why it’s so important to visit your doctor and have your blood pressure checked…
http://www.nephronline.com/news.asp?N_ID=3741

Reuters
April 15, 2010
An alarming trend, but one that can hopefully be reversed with dietary measures and more research…
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63E4VY20100415

NPR, All Things Considered
April 22, 2010
Facebook facilitates a life-saving connection. Have a listen!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126199103