When Should Someone See Their Doctor About ADPKD?

Kidneys play a vital role in our overall health, they clean our blood, balance body fluids, remove waste and aid in other important functions of our bodies. So when they’re not working right because of disease there are significant health ramifications. One such disease is Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney disease (ADPKD), a rare genetic and progressive disease that affects nearly 140,000 Americans.

ADPKD is an inherited or genetic condition, by the time patients are 60 years of age, about 50 percent will have developed end-stage kidney disease or kidney failure. If ADPKD runs in your family you have a 50% risk of having it too, so it’s important to know your family’s medical history.

So when should someone go to their doctor? “Dr. Dahl is here on behalf of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc. Dr. Dahl says it’s important to recognize the symptoms and take action quickly.

If people are having symptoms of any of these conditions and have a family history of ADPKD they should come in and see their doctor, talk about different management strategies, talk about getting screened and learning more about the condition.
Dr. Dahl

PKDinfo.com is a great site to start to get some initial information about ADPKD. Patients are encouraged to get really active and educated about their disease.