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My father is 71 and he's been anemic for at least five years with no known reason. About a year ago his blood work began to show elevated creatinine (kidney) levels. His glucose is higher than what's normal, but apparently not high enough to suggest diabetes. He also has a partially collapsed lung that was not addressed by the pulmonologist when it was discovered almost three years ago. We didn't even know about it, I found out when I was looking through his test results a few weeks ago.


I am very disturbed that none of this was ever addressed by any doctor. My uncle just recently died of kidney failure and apparently the doctor never told anyone, including him. I looked at his records and found out he'd had elevated kidney levels going back seven years and the doctor never said anything. This is the same doctor my father has.


Should I be concerned? Any suggestions? It seems like these health problems should be addressed. My pets get better care by veterinarians than humans get from their doctors. There's something very wrong with that.

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KateH2, where are you getting your information about what your father is being told by this unsatisfactory PCP?

The thing is. It isn't just the one doctor he's seeing, is it. It's a whole bunch of different people. And if your father expressed even the mildest curiosity about what a test was for or what results meant, any one of those people would be delighted to help him understand.

So. How receptive is your father to information, how good at asking - never mind the right questions - any questions, and do you accompany him to these appointments(or, if not, would he allow you to)?

PS - partially collapsed lungs that aren't causing problems are usually just left to sort themselves out, and they usually do. Has this been checked recently?
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His last blood tests were about a month ago. He goes in for fasting labs next week, ordered by his cardiologist.

His GFR is 41 and glucose is 160 (65-99 is normal). He appears to be in stage 3 CKD then. The kidney website says a symptom could be swelling in the hands or feet. He has edema in his ankles and was prescribed Lasix by his cardiologist. None of this has been addressed by his PCP. No one has said anything about his kidneys, other than the PCP saying to stay hydrated.

Like I said earlier, my uncle just died of unknown kidney failure. I mean, no one knew until it became clear he was dying and only had a week to live. His doctor was contacted and then he told the family about it. This is the same doctor my dad has. A doctor who I've thought was crappy for at least four years.

He saw a specialist about his anemia several years ago and a cause could not be found.
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Usually people with hypertension and diabetes develop kidney disease. The BP meds prescribed for high blood pressure treats the kidney disease as well. Meds like beta blockers and ACE inhibitors prescribed for BP have therapeutic benefits for kidney function. Chronic high blood pressure causes kidney cells to die. Thus it’s imperative that BP is controlled to preserve kidney function. Any good PCP should look at the whole picture including iron studies & kidney function when evaluating anemia.

Go to the National Kidney Foundation website and review CKD Stages (chronic kidney disease). Often a person is classified as a CKD 3 and stays at that stage for years. Creatinine is the lab result to monitor....if you have several years of lab work chart his Creatinine levels. You can use the NKF.org website to find out what stage he is. Also note his GFR % for kidney function evaluation- that value is a calculation and is usually printed on lab results when a person has a BUN & creatinine drawn as a screening.
There is so much great information on kidney disease on NKF.org - also NIDDK.org has wonderful resources for CKD as well.

Yes Anemia can be from kidney disease, but also from Vitamin B12 deficiency, from low iron stores and 100’s of other conditions. I’d have his MD check his iron stores if not done already. Low iron is common in the elderly.
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Are you sure this has not been discussed with Dad and he just did nothing about it. Not sure if there is anything you can do about the creatinine level. I also show high levels it was addressed but no recommendations. My cholesterol level was more important I guess. Drinking more water doesn't seem to make things better. I really don't think there is a medication that will help.

His kidneys are failing. My Mom lost a kidney to bladder cancer at 80. She lived til, 89 on one kidney working at half capacity. She passed from Dementia. Here is an article.

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-lower-creatinine
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It seems to me that you and your dad need to discuss his test results with his doctor. It may be that the levels are elevated but not high enough that treatment is indicated, more of a wait and see approach. Some doctor's are better than others at communicating. If after your discussion you're still not satisfied you should seek out a new doctor. My mother's doctor was totally negligent in her care but she took "he's the doctor and I won't question him approach" so there was little we could do. After her death I convinced my dad to change doctors and this one was much more willing to answer questions. He didn't change any treatments or medications but we at least felt we understood what was going on and that our questions would be addressed.
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That is because the vet accepts you, speaks with you, and you are able to make decisions for your pet.
You now need someone who can do the same for your father.
First of all, your father is quite young at 71. Has he discussed his illness with his doctor or with you? Is he capable to do that?
Do you have a POA for health care so that the doctor can discuss your father's case with you? He can also give his verbal permission to his doctors, but one at a time that can be difficult.
See about acting as your father's health care advocate now so that you have all the information.
Unless there is more and real information no one can have a clue what is happening. One either IS or is not diabetic. If Blood sugars are in normal range then there is no diabetes. But kidneys can fail for any of a number of other reasons including medications, blood pressure problems, and etc. How it is treated is dependent on its severity and the reasons it exists.
Good luck. You are correct to be concerned; speak with your father about appointing a POA for Health Care.
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