Kidney Disease Causes and Risk Factors

Dr. Rex Mahnensmith stands out as the former clinical director of nephrology and medical director of dialysis for Yale Medical Group, which he served for more than 20 years. Now an internal medicine physician at the StayWell Health Center in Connecticut, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith brings an in-depth knowledge of kidney disease and its risks.

Approximately 33 percent of adults in the United States have an elevated risk of kidney disease. Patients with this condition experience a gradual decrease in the kidney's ability to filter excess fluid and waste products from the blood. As kidney function becomes severely impaired, the level of waste, fluid, and electrolytes can build up in the body to dangerous levels.

This condition typically develops in response to other conditions. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common root causes, but recurring kidney infections can also cause the kidneys to fail. Other causes include extended obstruction of the urinary tract, inflammation of the kidney's internal structures, and the presence of polycystic kidney disease.

Patients who have a family history of kidney disease are at higher risk of developing kidney disease. The condition is also more common in individuals of Hispanic, African-American, Asian, and Native American heritage.

What Is Glucose Intolerance?

Internal medicine physician Dr. Rex Mahnensmith has specialized in primary care for more than three decades. Since 2015, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith has been providing full-time primary care at StayWell Health Center in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Glucose intolerance is a condition where the level of glucose in a person’s bloodstream rises above 140 mg or remains above 100 mg more than two hours after the ingestion of glucose. Normally, after eating, the blood glucose concentration rises from below 100 mg to about 110 or 120 mg. The glucose is then transferred into cells and tissues by insulin in approximately 60 to 90 minutes. It is then utilized by our organs as energy or stored as glycogen. 

In a case of glucose intolerance, however, the body does not handle the glucose intake in the normal time frame. Thus, the ingested glucose is not fully used up by the cells and tissues for energy. This condition occurs as a result of insufficient secretion of insulin or resistance to its action. While not diabetes mellitus, glucose intolerance can be regarded as a prediabetic condition and requires swift action and remedy.

Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease

A summa cum laude graduate of Denison University with a BS in biology, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith received his MD from the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) before fulfilling his internship and residency in internal medicine. An internist at StayWell Health Center in Waterbury, Connecticut, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith completed a fellowship in nephrology at YSM and has since focused on diagnosing and treating individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Also known as chronic kidney failure, CKD describes the gradual inability of the kidneys to filter excess fluid and waste from the body. While indicators of CKD might be limited in its nascent stages, they include the buildup of electrolytes, fluid, and waste to dangerous levels at an advanced stage, culminating in complications such as anemia, hypertension, nerve damage, and compromised nutrition and skeletal integrity.

A potential complication of CKD, hypertension is also one of the leading causes of the disease; indeed, along with diabetes, it accounts for approximately 65 percent of all cases. The third leading cause of CKD, glomerulonephritis refers to a constellation of disorders that inflame and damage the kidney’s filtering units. Similarly, chronic inflammation of the organ’s tubules and neighboring structures known as interstitial nephritis can also result in CKD.

Other causes of CKD include autoimmune and inherited diseases such as lupus and polycystic kidney disease, respectively. Pyelonephritis and various conditions resulting in protracted obstruction of the urinary tract have also been implicated in the etiology of CKD.

National Kidney Foundation Sponsors Golf Classic in Massachusetts

A graduate of the Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith serves as an internal medicine physician at StayWell Health Center in Waterbury, Connecticut. A recipient of several awards and designations, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith earned a Research Fellowship Award from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).

Founded in 1950, the NKF supports kidney patients and their families while raising awareness about the dangers associated with kidney disease. The organization’s efforts helped create the Kidney Early Evaluation Program, which allowed doctors to study and analyze ways to better treat kidney disease. The organization is now the largest and most comprehensive one dedicated to kidney disease.

The NKF sponsors several fundraising events throughout the year, including golf classics. The NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic takes place on June 12, 2018, at the Boston Golf Club in Hingham, Massachusetts. Now in its seventh year at the Boston location, the tournament has raised more than $600,000 to support, prevent, raise awareness for, and treat kidney disease. Golfers have a chance to qualify for the national finals at Pebble Beach as well as compete for prizes provided by local and national sponsors.

How Sugar Can Affect Your Body

A professor emeritus at Yale University, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith has passionately cared for patients for over three decades. Dr. Rex Mahnensmith’s special interests include obesity, metabolism, preventive health, prediabetes, and diabetes. He has written numerous articles to help people better understand different medical conditions. 

In one article, Dr. Mahnensmith traces how sugar travels through the body and affects tissues. Sucrose, commonly known as sugar, is produced by plants. When ingested sucrose, a complex sugar, is broken down into two simple sugars - glucose and fructose. These two simple sugars are easily absorbed into the bloodstream. 

Glucose is the energy source for tissue cells. To facilitate its travel to the cells via the bloodstream, the pancreas releases an appropriate level of insulin, which also maintains the optimal level of glucose. There can be a condition when glucose remains in the bloodstream much longer than the ideal one to two hours. 

When this occurs, the highly reactive glucose molecules can interact with other reactive molecules in a process known as glycation. This can lead to irreversible changes in tissues that can ultimately cause diseases. Millions of people around that world who are prediabetic and diabetic experience this condition.

The Good and Bad Sides of Glucose

A professor emeritus of Yale University, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith continues to provide patient care in Waterbury, Connecticut. He is an accomplished internal medicine physician whose specialties include diabetes medicine. In a published article, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith explained the positive and negative facets of glucose once it is inside our body. 

Glucose is a molecule that is found in various plants we eat such as potatoes, wheat, and rice, as well as from other plants such as beets, sugarcane, and various fruits. Absorbed into the bloodstream via the intestinal tract, glucose is taken up by different tissues where it eventually reaches the body's cells. Once inside the cell, it performs its all-important function of being the main provider of energy for the cell or is stored for later energy use. 

In individuals who are prediabetic or diabetic, where circulating glucose molecules in the bloodstream are not delivered efficiently into the body's cells, glucose can interact with circulating oxygen and other molecules in a reaction known as glycation. Glycation can permanently change the structures and functions of a tissue or organ. 

The adverse, chaotic, and random glycation reactions occur daily in people who are diabetic or prediabetic. And the culprit is a glucose molecule that has circulated in the bloodstream for far too long.

What You Should Know about an Abdominal Paracentesis

  A physician specializing in internal medicine, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith has been caring for patients for 40 years. In his practice, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith has performed numerous procedures, including abdominal paracentesis. 

Abdominal paracentesis, also known as an abdominal tap, is a procedure performed to remove excess fluids from a patient’s abdominal cavity. The fluid, usually referred to as ascites, should not normally be in the abdomen. It may be caused by cirrhosis of the liver, kidney disease, bowel damage, an infection, or pancreatitis. Left unchecked, the fluid can cause pain, bloating, and breathing problems. 

An abdominal paracentesis can be performed in a hospital emergency room, a doctor's office, or in an operating room. It is a relatively short procedure, depending on the amount of fluid being removed. Before the procedure is performed, a patient should inform the doctor of any pre-existing allergies or medication being taken, especially anti-inflammatory or blood thinning medication. A blood test may be performed prior to the procedure. 

During the procedure, the patient lies on a bed facing upward. The doctor starts by shaving and cleaning the abdominal area before applying a local anesthetic to numb the pain. The doctor will then make an incision in the skin and insert a needle one or two inches into the opening. The fluid is then removed through the syringe. After the fluid has been removed, the wound is stitched and dressed.

Dr. Rex Mahnensmith, MD - International Association of HealthCare Profess...