Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease

The goals of treatment in chronic kidney disease are to:

• Prevent or delay progression of kidney damage
• Prevent and treat complications

Treatment of chronic kidney disease depends on its stage. Severe chronic kidney disease (kidney failure or end-stage renal failure) must be treated with dialysis (pronounced die-AL-uh-sis) or kidney transplantation . Treatment of less advanced stages may include the following:

• Lifestyle changes
• Medications

References:

Are you at risk for chronic kidney disease? National Kidney Foundation website. Available at: http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=134. Accessed July 30, 2005.

National Kidney Foundation. Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) clinical practice guidelines for bone metabolism and disease in chronic kidney disease. Am J Kidney Dis. 2003; 42:S1-201.

National Kidney Foundation. Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) clinical practice guidelines for chronic kidney disease: evaluation, classification, and stratification. Am J Kidney Dis. 2002;39:S1-266.

National Kidney Foundation. Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) clinical practice guidelines on hypertension and antihypertensive agents in chronic kidney disease. Am J Kidney Dis. 2004; 43:S1-S29.