World Kidney Day 2018: What is the theme this year and how can you keep your kidney healthy?

World Kidney Day is observed on the second Thursday of March every year since 2006. This year the day falls on March 8, which also marks International Women's Day. The theme for World Kidney Day 2018 is "Kidney & Women's Health: Include, Value, Empower".

World Kidney Day — a global awareness campaign — is an initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).

Its aim is to educate people regarding the dangers of Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD), which is caused by diabetes, high blood pressure and even a family history of kidney failure.

And statistics by Worldkidneyday.org reveal that women are at a greater risk of CKD compared to men. Around 195 million women suffer from CKD globally, and it results in the deaths of 600,000 women per year. This makes CKD the eighth leading cause of death in women.

Here's all you need to know about Chronic Kidney Diseases:

This disease results in the loss of kidney function over a span of months or years. The main function of these bean-shaped organs is to filter around 120-150 quarts (115-140 liters) of our blood to produce around 1-2 quarts of urine.

The blood filtration is carried out by the kidneys with the help of millions of tiny filters called nephrons, which stop functioning once they get damaged. When the functioning of these tiny filters drops to a certain extent, the kidney stops functioning, leading to its failure.

Objectives of World Kidney Day:

• Spreading awareness about the importance of kidneys on our overall health across the world.
• Educating people to follow more preventive behaviors.
• Encouraging systematic screening of people who are diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure — basically, those who are more prone to CKD.
• Controlling CKD epidemic with the help of national as well as local health authorities.
• Making the government authorities invest more in further kidney screening.
• Boosting kidney donation as it is a life-saving option in case of kidney failure.

Here are some tips to deplete the risks of kidney ailments:

1. Undergo a urine test:

Get your urine tested for a protein called albumin. Finding this protein in your urine points at your kidneys not filtering blood properly. It can be a sign of early kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation. If the protein traces are detected in your urine, get tested. 

2. Get your blood tested:

Getting your blood tested for Creatinine — a waste product from muscle metabolism — helps in finding out whether the waste in your blood is being filtered properly by the kidneys or not.

3. Quit smoking:

Smoking harms your kidneys just like diabetes and hypertension. Quitting smoking will not only be great for your kidneys but will have a positive impact on your overall health, a Fox News report revealed.

4. Maintain the right BMI:

Obesity can trigger your chances of getting diabetes and high blood pressure, hence you should make sure you are not overweight. Try losing extra pounds to lower your chances of becoming prone to kidney diseases.

5. Follow the right diet along with a good lifestyle:

Make sure that you follow a diet that doesn't include excess salt, sugar or cholesterol-rich foods as these will lead to high blood pressure and affect your kidneys.