To slow kidney disease progression, strictly manage blood pressure and blood sugar, follow a kidney-friendly diet (low salt, controlled protein/potassium/phosphorus), exercise, maintain a healthy weight, stop smoking, manage stress, get enough sleep, and take prescribed medications (like ACE inhibitors, ARBs, SGLT2 inhibitors), avoiding NSAIDs. Working closely with your healthcare team, including a dietitian, is crucial for personalized care.
Even though there is no cure for CKD, and kidney damage typically isn't reversible, with treatment, healthy life changes, and keeping an eye on your eGFR and uACR, many people in Stage 3 do not move to Stage 4 or Stage 5 (kidney failure).
With chronic kidney disease, the damage tends to happen over the course of several years. High blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes are the two most common causes of chronic kidney disease. Other causes and conditions that affect kidney function and can cause chronic kidney disease include: Glomerulonephritis.
These medicines include an ACE inhibitor/ARB, an SGLT2 inhibitor and/or an nsMRA. Your healthcare professional may also prescribe a statin (cholesterol medicine). Guidelines recommend statins for people with stage 4 CKD who also have diabetes, a history of heart disease, or are age 50 or older.
Lifestyle changes
Although CKD is generally progressive and irreversible, there are steps providers and patients can take to slow progression, enabling patients to live longer without complications or the need for renal replacement therapy.
Other ways to boost your kidney health are to: Avoid processed foods, which are high in salt. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies. Exercise routinely.
Two major drug types to avoid or use with extreme caution in kidney disease are Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) for reducing blood flow to the kidneys, and certain antibiotics, such as aminoglycosides (like gentamicin) and some antivirals, which can directly harm kidney tissue. Always consult your doctor before taking any new medication, as many over-the-counter products and prescriptions can negatively impact kidney function.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the top culprits damaging kidneys most, as they harm the delicate filtering blood vessels, leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and failure; other major factors include smoking, obesity, dehydration, poor diet (high sugar/salt/red meat), certain medications (NSAIDs), lack of sleep, and genetic conditions. These factors create a cycle where damaged kidneys worsen blood pressure, further damaging them.
For someone around 60, stage 1 stage 2 kidney disease life expectancy will be approximately 15 years. That figure falls to 13 years, 8 years, and 6 years in the second, third, and fourth stages of kidney disease, respectively.
When chronic kidney disease becomes advanced, loss of kidney function can cause:
In the general population, approximately 38% of adults aged 70 or older have an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, with most having moderate reductions in eGFR in the 30-59 ml/min/1.73 m2 range (1).
Heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes can make kidney disease get worse faster. So it is important that your doctor keeps an eye both on how your kidneys are working and your overall health.
To strengthen your kidneys, focus on a healthy lifestyle: stay hydrated with water, eat a balanced diet low in salt and processed foods, exercise regularly, avoid smoking and excessive alcohol, manage blood pressure and sugar, limit over-the-counter pain relievers (like NSAIDs), and maintain a healthy weight to support overall kidney function.
Nevertheless, Stage 3 CKD does need to be taken seriously. In particular, it is very important to take care of the conditions that may contribute to kidney damage (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure), as well as any risk factors for cardiovascular disease (for example high cholesterol, smoking).
Establishing a Consistent Hydration Routine. Start your day with a glass of water and space your intake evenly. Contrary to popular belief, drinking water at night is bad for kidneys unless it leads to frequent nighttime urination that disrupts sleep.
To support kidney health, focus on plant-based foods like berries, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, garlic, and leafy greens, plus fatty fish (salmon, tuna), egg whites, and whole grains like buckwheat, while limiting salt, processed foods, and high-potassium options like orange juice, opting for water as your primary drink. A kidney-friendly diet emphasizes fresh, whole foods to help reduce inflammation and manage kidney function.
Kidney damage repair depends on the type: acute kidney injury (AKI) can often be reversed as the kidney heals itself, but chronic kidney disease (CKD) damage is generally irreversible, though its progression can be significantly slowed with lifestyle changes, medications (like SGLT2 inhibitors), and managing underlying conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, with advanced stages requiring dialysis or transplant for survival.
Substituted phenethylamines, a diverse group of psychoactive substances (e.g., amphetamines, synthetic cathinones) comprising stimulants, hallucinogens and entactogens sharing a core phenethylamine structure, have been increasingly associated with kidney injury.
Extreme, on-going tiredness, together with a lack of energy, is often called fatigue. There are lots of reasons why you may experience fatigue with CKD. If your kidneys are not working well, toxins (waste products) build up in your blood and this can make you feel tired and weak.
For these reasons, it is very unlikely that your eGFR number will ever go back up. So, instead of focusing too much on your eGFR number, focus that energy on finding steps you can take to maximize your healthy habits and improve your kidney health.
If the kidneys are not functioning as they should, creatinine levels can increase in the blood. Several factors can cause high creatinine levels. These factors range from diet and medications to underlying health conditions. Levels should return to normal following treatment of the underlying issue.
Causes of low gfr in adults