OILY FISH CONSUMPTION PREVENTS OR DELAYS the development of chronic kidney disease. Here are some examples of seafood that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids:

• Anchovies
• Black cod
• Bluefin tuna
• Cobia
• Herring
• Mackerel
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Striped bass
• Whitefish

The new study found that higher levels of plant-derived n-3 PUFAs (alpha-linolenic acid [ALA]) were not associated with any kidney function change.

Chronic kidney disease

Our kidneys filter all of the body’s blood every 30 minutes. These organs remove waste, toxins, and excessive fluid.

The kidneys are also vital to blood pressure control, stimulating the production of red blood cells, regulating blood chemicals, and helping to maintain bone integrity. All of this is accomplished by two organs, each the size of a computer mouse.

Properly working kidneys are critical to health. Chronic kidney disease occurs when the kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood well. Excess waste and fluid from the blood remain in the body, raising the risk of chronic health diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

Unfortunately, more than one in seven American adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD). That statistic translates to approximately 37 million individuals.

Chronic kidney disease, by the numbers

Kidney diseases are a leading cause of death in the USA. Approximately 37 million adults have chronic kidney disease. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reminds us that, remarkably, most of those with chronic kidney disease are undiagnosed.

Forty percent of individuals with severely reduced kidney function (not on dialysis) do not know they have chronic kidney disease. Each day, 360 people start dialysis treatment for kidney failure.

What are the leading causes of kidney daily in the United States? Diabetes and high blood pressure. The financial implications are astounding: In 2019, the CDC reports, treating Medicare recipients with chronic kidney disease cost $87.2 billion, with treatment for those with end-stage renal disease costing an additional ESRD cost an additional $37.3 billion.

Chronic kidney disease risk factors

Please talk with your healthcare provider about testing if you have any of the following risk factors:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• A family history of chronic kidney disease

Other risk factors include smoking, being black, Native American, or Asian American. Older age is a risk factor, as is the frequent use of medications that damage the kidneys. Finally, if you have an abnormal kidney structure, you may have a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease.

How do I know if I have chronic kidney disease?

Those with chronic kidney disease may not feel ill or have any symptoms. The only way to determine if you have CKD is through specific blood and urine tests. Such tests include measuring creatinine levels in the blood and protein in the urine.

Chronic kidney disease sequelae

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with anemia, a low number of blood cells. Second, CKD can be associated with low calcium, high potassium, and high phosphorus levels in the blood. CKD also increases infection risk, can cause a loss of appetite, and may be linked with depression.

There are varying levels of severity, and the disease typically worsens over time (although treatment may slow progression). If the kidneys stop working, dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed for the patient to survive. When dialysis or a transplant is needed, we call the condition end-stage renal disease. Fortunately, not all individuals progress to kidney failure.

Oily fish associated with lower CKD risk

The new study shows that higher omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFAs) levels from seafood (oily fish) were associated with a modestly lower incidence of chronic kidney disease and a slower drip in kidney function.

Researchers pooled data from more than 25,000 subjects in 19 studies (in 12 countries that are a part of the Fatty Acids and Outcomes Research Consortium (FORCE)).

Publishing online in the British Medical Journal, researchers discovered the following:

Those in the top fifth of seafood-derived n-PUFA consumption — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — had a 13 percent lower risk of chronic kidney disease compared with those in the lowest fifth, during a median 11-year follow-up.

My take

The study findings are consistent with randomized clinical trials that found increased intake of seafood n-3 PUFAs reduced blood pressure, a key risk factor for the development of chronic kidney disease.

Although the findings do not prove a causal relationship between n-3 PUFA consumption and CKD risk, they support current clinical guidelines: Consume adequate seafood as a part of healthy dietary patterns (especially when seafood replaces eating less healthy foods).

The study has flaws, with the researchers measuring n-3 PUFA biomarkers only once (at baseline). On the other hand, such biomarkers have been found to have good long-term reproducibility in a previous study with repeated within-person measurements across 13 years.

I hope to see randomized trials to assess the potential beneficial role of seafood n-3 PUFAs in preventing and managing chronic kidney disease.

Finally, here are some tips from the Mayo Clinic (USA) to reduce your risk of developing kidney disease:

• Follow instructions on over-the-counter medications. When using nonprescription pain relievers [for example, aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others)], follow the package instructions. Taking too many pain relievers chronically sometimes leads to kidney injury.
• Maintain a healthy weight. If you have a healthy weight, maintain it by being physically active most days. Talk with your healthcare provider about healthy weight loss strategies if you are overweight.
• Don’t smoke. Cigarettes can damage the kidneys or worsen existing kidney damage. If you smoke, talk to a healthcare provider about strategies to quit. Support groups, counseling, and medications can all be valuable.
• Manage your medical conditions with a medical professional’s help. If you have a condition that raises your kidney disease risk, work with your doctor to control them. Ask about tests to look for kidney damage signs.

The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.

Thank you for reading about how oily fish consumption prevents chronic kidney disease.