Why You Need a Renal Dietitian on Your Care Team If You Have ADPKD

Your kidneys are like your body’s cleaning system, filtering out waste and extra fluid. So perhaps its no surprise that the foods you eat and liquids you drink play a big role in how your autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is managed.

For example, certain nutrients, such as sodium and phosphorus, can negatively affect your kidney function, according to Richard Fatica, MD, a nephrologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Conversely, eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can help maintain your overall health and reduce the stress on your body and vital organs.

Still, making lifestyle changes on your own isn’t easy. That’s where a renal dietitian — an expert in diet and nutrition for people with kidney disease, including ADPKD — comes in.

“They have a significant role on the care team, as there is more and more emerging evidence that diet can play an important part in the progression of your disease,” Dr. Fatica notes.

Here’s why you may want to add a renal dietitian to your care team, and how they can help you manage your ADPKD.

Why Diet Is So Important in ADPKD

A healthy diet can help prevent kidney disease from progressing to kidney failure, says Krista Maruschak, RD, who is with Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition. It can also help ward off high blood pressure, which is a common side effect of ADPKD.

Maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, and eating a healthy, low-sodium diet can help you manage high blood pressure and limit the progression of kidney failure, according to Maruschak.

If you have kidney disease that develops into kidney failure, you’ll need to monitor your levels of potassium and a mineral called phosphorus, which can be elevated with kidney failure, she says. Foods with large amounts of these nutrients could further harm your kidneys, she adds.

How a Renal Dietitian Helps You Manage ADPKD

“Working with a dietitian is helpful for people with ADPKD, because we can guide a person to the diet that will help them manage side effects related to ADPKD,” says Maruschak.

In addition to high blood pressure, complications can include recurrent urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and heart valve abnormalities, according to MedlinePlus.

A renal dietitian can also help you keep up with new dietary recommendations for ADPKD, which typically change as the disease progresses, Maruschak notes.

Renal dietitians can also help you manage your overall health, especially if you have other chronic conditions. If you have ADPKD but not kidney failure, that means following a diet that helps you control your blood pressure, maintain a healthy weight, and manage any other comorbidities, says Maruschak.

Chronic kidney disease doesn’t often exist in isolation, Fatica notes. “ADPKD patients tend to be a little healthier than your typical chronic kidney disease patient, because they have a genetic disease that’s uniquely affecting the kidney. However, most chronic kidney disease in our country is a result of diabetes and high blood pressure,” he adds.

Other conditions, such as heart disease and obesity, can come along with these chronic health problems, according to Fatica. “Nutrition is especially important in that scenario,” he adds.

Meeting With a Renal Dietitian

Typically, dietitians would see you for an initial visit, and then the frequency of follow-ups would depend on your understanding of the education around diet and your individual needs, says Maruschak.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends that people with chronic kidney disease work with a registered dietitian. If your doctor orders medical nutrition therapy, the services are covered by Medicare. Many private insurance companies also cover nutritional services, Fatica says.