How is kidney function related to heart health?

Kidneys are vital to your body's waste-disposal system, but in many adults (one in nine) these ingenious little filters aren't firing on all cylinders. Over time, this triples your odds for heart problems because kidneys gunk up your bloodstream, which stiffens arteries, fires up inflammation, and sets the stage for a heart attack. High blood pressure, diabetes, and unlucky genes are risk factors for kidney problems. If you've got any of 'em, get checked.

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