TREATMENT OF CKD

The options available for managing CKD depends on the stage the disease was initially diagnosed. In early stages of CKD, cutting back on salt and protein in one's diet can be helpful, as both put additional strain on kidney function. Maintaining a healthy weight is also highly recommended, as obesity taxes heart function and increases the risk for diabetes. The diabetes-obesity connection works both ways—if a patient has already been diagnosed with diabetes, obesity can also worsen the complications of the disease. However, no matter when CKD is diagnosed, increasing the amount of exercise and overall daily activity one gets is vitally important in slowing the progression of the disease.

If an underlying disease or condition is responsible for the CKD, it should be treated. This means, for example, that a person with diabetes should try to maintain tight control of his or her blood glucose levels by keeping them within or as close to the normal range as possible.

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