Chronic kidney (CKD) disease changes a person’s life, effecting their lifestyle, careers, diets and even how they manage pain. Because of the contents of certain medication, a patient with CKD has less options for medications. Some medications like NSAIDs are bed enough over time for people with healthy kidneys.

Those with compromised kidney functions, however, are at bigger risk and can suffer more damage. Serving as filters for the blood where toxins and waste are removes and then expelled from the body through urine. Those who suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) have suffered damage to their kidneys and they are no longer able to process this blood.

If they can, it is at greatly reduced levels and not enough for a healthy life. If the kidneys are not able to process blood, the toxins and wastes build up in the blood. Damage to organs follow and eventually death.

Researchers examined 100,000 adults in the Pennsylvania health care system an compared those with opioid medications and those without opioid medications over a period of two years. It was found that patients had a 1.5 grater chance of dying from opioids than those who did not regardless of kidney status.

In those with CKD, the risk of dying was found to be even higher as the kidney can no longer filter out the harmful chemicals from the opioids and these continue to build up in the system. If you’d like to know more about what could worsen kidney function, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.