Diabetes and Diabetics

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a condition in which the kidneys lose their ability to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body.  Loss of this ability causes excessive waste and fluid buildup in the body.  Loss of kidney function has direct and indirect effects on the body as other body systems are also negatively affected by this loss of kidney function.

Diabetes and Hypertension are the most common causes of CKD and therefore patients with these conditions are at increased risk for developing CKD with time.  If you have one or both of these diseases, you should be discussing your "kidney health" regularly with your primary care physician.

If you are a diabetic, it is very important to manage blood sugars. Implement a low saturated fat, low cholesterol, and low salt diet. Some patients will need to implement a low protein, low sugar, and low potassium diet as well.