Live with Kidney Disease

Diet and Lifestyle Changes

People with kidney disease can continue to live productive lives: working, enjoying friends and family, and staying physically active. You may need to make some changes to your diet and lifestyle to help you live a healthier and longer life. Because heart attack and stroke are more common among people with kidney disease, these changes are good for your heart and for your kidneys.

Lifestyle Changes

Following a healthy lifestyle is good for people with kidney disease, especially if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or both. Talk with your dietitian, diabetes educator, or other health care professional about which actions are most important for you to take. As you will see, many of these actions are related.

• Keep your blood pressure at the target set by your health care provider. Aim for less than 1,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day.
• If you have diabetes, control your blood glucose level. Good blood glucose control may help prevent or delay diabetes complications, including kidney disease.
• Keep your blood cholesterol in your target range. Diet, being active, maintaining a healthy weight, and medicines can all help control your blood cholesterol level.
• Take medicines the way your provider tells you to.
• If you smoke, take steps to quit. Cigarette smoking can make kidney damage worse.
• Get or become more active. Physical activity is good for your blood pressure, as well as your blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels.
• Lose weight if you are overweight. Being overweight makes your kidneys work harder. Losing weight helps your kidneys last longer.