What Can I Do to Live Long and Well with CKD?

·          Take care of your heart!  CKD and heart disease are strongly linked. Everything you do to help your kidneys also helps your heart.

o         CKD and heart disease

·          Control blood pressure to slow kidney damage and help your heart.

o         CKD and blood pressure

·          Control blood sugar if you have diabetes to slow down kidney damage.

·          Take your pills. Several medications for kidney patients can slow down damage to your kidneys or prevent other problems caused by CKD.

·          Treat anemia to stay active and independent.

·          Eat well. You can keep your kidneys and your heart healthy with good nutrition, and you can still enjoy great food.

o         You can still enjoy great food!!  Northwest Kidney Centers offer a free class for people with CKD, Eating Well, Living Well.  Learn from a dietitian how you can eat the foods you love and stay healthy.

§          About Eating Well, Living Well class

§          Class schedules and how to sign up

§          Kidney-friendly recipes

o         Cut down on salt. Salt raises blood pressure, damaging your kidneys and your heart.

§          CKD and salt

§          Finding hidden salt

§          Low-salt seasoning ideas

o         Watch cholesterol to help your heart and your kidneys.

§          Cholesterol and healthy fats

§          Improving your cholesterol numbers

o         Your doctor may ask you to cut down on phosphorus for bone and blood vessel health.

§          Calcium/phosphorus balance and CKD  

§          Lowering your phosphorus

o         Your doctor may ask you to cut down on potassium if your kidneys can’t keep it in balance.

§          Potassium and CKD

§          A guide to potassium in food  

o         Eat the right amount and right type of protein to help your kidneys stay healthy. Ask your doctor about talking to a dietitian to find out what’s right for you.

·          Exercise. What if you could take a pill that could help your heart, lower your blood pressure, strengthen you bones, improve your mood, and help you stay at a healthy weight? And it was free? Well, exercise can do all those things, and it may not be as hard to increase your activity as you think.

o         How and why to make time for exercise

o         How much exercise you need to improve your health  

o         An easy walking program (good if you haven’t been active)

o         Free and low-cost fitness resources in King County

§          North

§          South

§          Downtown

§          Eastside

·          Stop smoking. Smoking makes CKD much worse and greatly increases your risk of death. It’s never too late to quit, and there are resources to help.

o         Smoking and CKD

·          Guard against depression. Depression is not just having a bad day. It’s a chemical imbalance in your brain, and it can be treated. Depression is common among people living with CKD. It’s linked to heart disease, and it can affect your survival.

o         Depression and CKD