September is national Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) awareness month. Both a celebration of all of you PKD warriors but also a month dedicated to educating everyone about PKD. Why is this important? Because the more that people learn about PKD the more they speak up and get involved.
More involvement leads to more visibility and from there more studies are funded, more research is done, and there is a better understanding of what PKD is. There is currently no cure for Polycystic Kidney Disease, however, diet therapy provides options to slow its progression.
What is Polycystic Kidney Disease?
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a genetically inherited disease affecting thousands of people in the US and millions of people worldwide. Currently, it is the 4th leading cause of End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) in the world.
The most common form of PKD is “autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease” (ADPKD). ADPKD affects over 600,000 people in the US alone and most often runs in families. “Autosomal dominant” means that if a person has PKD there is a 50% chance any children they have will inherit the disease.
The hallmark feature of ADPKD is the progressive growth of cysts in both kidneys. This leads to organ enlargement, fibrosis, and increasing impairment of kidney function. Approximately half of people with ADPKD progress to renal failure in their 50’s and 60’s. Kidney failure requires either dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Science to Table: Nutrition Therapy for PKD
Over the past year plus, our team at the Kidney Nutrition Institute have worked towards understanding the latest cutting edge science on delaying the progression of PKD and translating it into innovative, and doable, nutrition therapy.
And we are proud to launch RISE Nutrition for PKD, a group nutrition program with personalized support that helps proactive people with PKD safely implement cutting-edge nutrition designed just for PKD such as ketogenic, low oxalate, and gut-healthy strategies.
We want to share some strategies so you can get started right away!
The top 7 diet strategies for PKD
Here are our top 7 diet strategies for polycystic kidney disease that may help to delay the progression of this disease. Click the link to read all about them.
3. Manage, don’t obsess over oxalates
7. Mindset matters: PKD community
These strategies include tried and true practices for kidney health, while others highlight the latest nutrition research.
Tune in all month long as we deep dive into each of these topics to help you understand the why and how for each of these strategies!
Diet matters in Polycystic Kidney Disease!
If you want to learn more about the science-based nutrition approach designed for people with PKD, work with one of our expert Renal Dietitians at KNI. We helped pioneer the latest nutrition strategies for PKD with our RISE Program. Ready to get started? Join our next RISE cohort or book your free RISE discovery call today!
