5 top tips to manage CKD

5 top tips to manage CKD

Keep track of your kidney data with PKB

Key Points

1. Make sure CKD is detected early and a clear cause is identified
2. Keep your blood pressure normal or low
3. Treat your other medical conditions
4. Avoid illnesses that cause AKI
5. Keep your weight down.

CKD is usually not a curable disease. But that doesn’t mean that there is nothing you can do to help yourself. Here are 5 top tips to manage CKD.

1. Make sure CKD is detected early and a clear cause is identified

CKD is not a diagnosis. It is a syndrome (group of diseases) that has causes.

So if your GP is not certain what it is, and what to do, encourage them to refer you to a nephrologist (hospital kidney doctor). Most people don’t need to be referred. Either way, make sure you have a kidney ultrasound as well. After that, have regular blood tests and follow up.

Don’t allow yourself to be discharged unless things are stable and the risk of kidney failure is low.

2. Keep your blood pressure down

Keep your blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg (or 130/80 if you have diabetes) all the time – at home, at your GPs or hospital. This is the single most important thing you can do. CKDEx has advice on how to lower blood pressure.

In fact, proper control of high blood pressure is often the most effective way of slowing down the progression of CKD.

“Keep your blood pressure 130/80 mm Hg or below, all the time”

The best way to attain good control is to monitor your blood pressure regularly at home, and maintain a chart. This will help your doctor immensely, so they can adjust your blood pressure medication accordingly.

In terms of tablets, for many patients, the combination of a full dose of BP medication called an ACE (or ARB) and an SGLTi is very effective. Examples include Ramipril (ACE) and Dapagliflozin (SGLTi). 1-3 additional BP tablets may be necessary as well.

3. Treat other chronic medical conditions

These include diabetes and heart failure. See hospital specialists for these conditions as well, if your GP is not sure what to do.

4. Avoid illnesses that can cause AKI (rapid onset kidney failure)

This is because they can further damage the kidneys, and may even lead to temporary (or permanent dialysis).

In CKD, the kidneys are very sensitive to other illnesses: especially infection and sepsis; things that cause hypotension (low blood pressure, e.g. dehydration); urinary tract obstruction (e.g. prostate problems in men); and drugs toxic to the kidneys.

“Avoiding infection, and getting it treated promptly is especially important if you have CKD”

In fact all these things need to be promptly identified and treated, as all can affect kidney function and/or cause AKI – e.g. stay hydrated when you have infections.

Also, keep up to date with your vaccinations as these can prevent infections (like COVID-19 and the flu) that can worsen kidney function.

5. Lose weight if you’re overweight or obese

We have advice on how to lose weight. Also you may find fluid restriction and/or ‘kidney-friendly’ diets (e.g. low in sodium, potassium, phosphate or protein) may make you feel better.

Dietician
Meet with a dietician to create a kidney-healthy eating plan. The plan may need to change as you get older or if your CKD grade changes.

General health and fitness
Get active. Physical activity helps control blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Smoking
If you smoke, quit. Smoking can cause and worsen chronic kidney disease. Here is advice on how to stop here.

Summary

We have described 5 top tips to manage CKD. There is alot you can do. We hope it has been helpful.

Other resource

CKDEx has a longer version of this article here with 5 more things to do: 10 top tips.

Last Reviewed on 30 April 2024