KEEP Healthy   Answers to Your Health Questions  Q. How are the
kidneys impacted when you follow a high protein diet (including
a high protein, low carbohydrate diet)?  A. High protein diets
make the kidneys work harder, filtering above the normal level,
called "hyperfiltration". The increase in the filtration of the
kidneys is linked to the development of chronic kidney disease.
Additionally, research has shown that high protein diets can
change the chemical makeup of the urine and can make it more
likely that someone will form kidney stones. Obesity also
increases the likelihood of forming kidney stones, so some of
this data may have been influenced by the rising incidence of
obesity.  Q. How can pre-hypertension damage the kidneys?  A.
Pre-hypertension, or "mild high blood pressure" can damage the
kidneys before hypertension (high blood pressure) has progressed
enough to be diagnosed. As blood pressure begins to rise,
scarring and blood vessel changes can affect the kidneys. These
changes inside the kidney