Former reality TV star Bethenny Frankel reveals stage 2 chronic kidney disease diagnosis

"The Real Housewives of New York City" alumna Bethenny Frankel has revealed that she has been diagnosed with stage 2 chronic kidney disease. The 55-year-old shared the health update with a video on Instagram and encouraged people to be “mindful” about their health.


“Months ago, I decided that I was going to be very proactive about blood tests, bone density, all the things I had heard people talking about,” Bethenny said in a January 22 video. She explained that because of the pattern, she reluctantly made an appointment with a kidney specialist.

Bethenny Frankel’s kidney disease stage 2 diagnosis

According to Bethany, during the visit, she was presented with her diagnosis, although her doctor was unsure of what caused the kidney disease, thinking it could be anything from a severe allergy attack she had several years ago to an autoimmune disease or even her lack of water intake. “I don't drink a lot of water,” Bethenny said. “You guys know that I always have a hydration packet. I'm holding a bottle, but I'm not usually drinking it.”


"Maybe this is something I’ll have to deal with this forever," she said. "But I just wanted to tell you because I think it’s important to get all your blood work done”, added Bethenny Frankel.


Frankel said her doctor could not attribute the diagnosis to a specific cause and mused that some clues might be found in the "traumatic experience I had years ago when I almost died from an allergy attack" that could have damaged her kidneys, or her prior predisposition to urinary tract infections. She also struggles to stay hydrated and experiences low blood pressure,


In 2018, Frankel was hospitalized after she consumed soup that made her itchy, then knocked her unconscious. She revealed at the time that she had a "rare fish allergy."

Bethenny Frankel’s versatile career

Bethenny Frankel’s career spans from reality TV shows to being an entrepreneur mogul. In her early days, Bethenny worked as a personal chef before gaining popularity with reality TV shows like ‘The Apprentice: Martha Stewart’, where she held the runner-up position. She became a breakout star with the reality TV show ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’.