You shared that you don’t have any existing health conditions or you’re not sure. Talk with your primary care provider about your health history and how to continue to prevent or manage health conditions like heart disease or diabetes – conditions that can increase your chance of developing kidney disease.

You shared that you have not had these tests for kidney health:

• Urine tests
• Blood tests
• Kidney ultrasound
• Computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan of your kidneys
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of your kidneys
• Kidney biopsy

There are different types of tests to get a better picture of how well your kidneys are working. You may want to talk to your doctor to learn if more tests would be appropriate for you. These additional tests may be able to tell your doctor the cause of your kidney disease, or if you have another disease that is damaging your kidneys.

You shared that you have not had genetic testing to find genes linked to kidney disease.

You may want to talk with your doctor about having genetic testing. Genetic testing looks for changes (called mutations or variants) in your genes that may have caused your kidney disease. There are many different types of genetic tests your doctor can order. The genetic test is done by using a sample of your blood or saliva (spit) that gets sent to a lab to be tested.

You shared that you’re not sure about your family members health history. If you’re able to talk with a family member, here are some questions to ask:

• Do you have any problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol?
• How old were you when you were diagnosed?
• If a family member has passed away, what did they die from and how old were they?

Your family members may be sensitive about their personal health and feel uncomfortable discussing their own medical issues. That’s why it’s important to explain why you’re gathering the information. By communicating your efforts to live a healthier life and limit family-related risk factors, relatives may be more willing to share these kinds of details.