Diabetes Complications

Living Well with CKD

Living a full, happy life with chronic kidney disease (CKD) isn’t just possible—it’s well within your reach. We’ll help you understand how your treatment plan will help keep you healthy, as well as the options for treatment to think about. We’ll also help you learn how to navigate those days when managing a chronic condition feels especially hard.

Keep Up with Your Screenings

The best way to protect your kidney health? Regular testing. Two important tests—the eGFR and the UACR—can help you (and your healthcare team) track how well your treatment plan is working and catch any issues early.

Download Our Screening Facts

Illustrations of blood vial and urine sample

What to Focus On When Managing CKD

Keep your blood glucose in your target range.
Managing your blood glucose (blood sugar) protects your kidney filters and can even help to slow or stop the progression of CKD.

Manage your blood pressure.
A healthy range eases strain on your kidneys. A common goal is under 130/80, but ask your doctor what you should target.

Explore kidney-friendly eating plans.
It’s important to build an eating plan that includes foods you love, meets your other needs, and helps you reach your health goals.

Boost your physical activity.
If you’re looking for a goal, you can aim for 150 minutes of physical activity each week, split up to fit your schedule. Find something you enjoy!

Stay on track with medications.
Take your medications as prescribed and check with your healthcare team about over-the-counter medications or supplements.

Care for your emotional health.
Your emotional health can directly affect your ability to reach your targets, like your blood glucose and blood pressure.

Know when to call your healthcare team.
Check in if you notice new swelling, unusual tiredness, or changes in how often you urinate, or anytime you have questions.

Stop smoking or vaping.
Smoking lowers the amount of oxygen that gets to your organs, raises your LDL cholesterol, and raises your blood pressure. If you need help to quit, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Why are blood glucose and blood pressure so important for CKD?

Managing your blood glucose and blood pressure are the two biggest levers you can pull to protect your kidneys. Your kidneys filter your blood through millions of tiny blood vessels, and both high blood glucose and high blood pressure damage those vessels over time. That damage is what causes CKD to develop and get worse, so reaching your targets for both is the most effective way to slow it down. You can attend a diabetes self-management education program to better manage blood glucose.

Senior woman in red shirt with shawl around her neck is checking her blood glucose level

CKD Medications, Explained Simply

For many people with diabetes and CKD, the medications in your treatment plan will do double duty, helping manage blood glucose or blood pressure while also helping protect your kidneys.

Your doctor will work with you to decide what medications will meet your needs, but it can be helpful to understand common medications so you can ask questions.

Common medications used include:

Diabetes medications

Some of which also protect the kidneys and heart.
Examples: SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 medications

Blood pressure medications

Medications that lower blood pressure and reduce protein in the urine, easing strain on the kidneys.
Examples: ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, statins

Personalized adjustments

Your doctor may adjust doses based on your latest results and the other medications you take.

Kidney-Friendly Eating Plans

There is no single eating plan that is right for everyone managing kidney health. Your healthcare team or a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can help you choose an eating plan that meets your needs and helps you reach your health goals.

The Diabetes Plate is a simple tool that can help you build balanced meals and can be used with the eating plans that support diabetes and kidney health, including:

Mediterranean-style
Vegetarian or vegan
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)

Need more inspiration? Find kidney-friendly recipes, a personalized grocery list, tools for kidney-friendly meal planning, and more at the Diabetes Food Hub^®.

Learn More About Kidney-Friendly Eating Find Kidney-Friendly Recipes

White plate with healthy balance of cooked carrots, green beans, potatoes, and chicken breast with mushroom sauce

Staying Organized with Your Treatment Plan

It can be a challenge to keep up with everything you need for your treatment plan. Here are some ideas that may help, without adding more to your plate.

Keep all your medications in one place, near something you use every day, so you’ll see them and remember to take them. Pill organizers can also be an easy (and portable) way to stay on schedule.
Pack extra medication and a copy of your key health info when you travel. Think about looking up healthcare options where you’re traveling, in case you need them.
Try ordering groceries online, or try a meal delivery service where healthy, fresh meals are sent to your door, ready to cook.
Look up menus online before dining out to find kidney-friendly choices. Don’t be shy about asking how food is prepared!
Keep your important health information stored in one place, like a health folder or health app on your phone.
Ask your pharmacist about prescription refill options to save time. Many insurance plans cover a 90-day supply of medication, which means fewer trips to the pharmacy.

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Working with Your Healthcare Team

You are the most important member of your healthcare team. You do day-to-day things to manage CKD, like choosing healthy foods, being physically active, taking your medication, and monitoring your blood glucose and blood pressure to help reach your health goals.

The other members of your healthcare team are there to partner with you, answer your questions, and provide expert guidance. They can tell you about your treatment options and help you stay up to date with your physical exams and lab tests.

You and your healthcare team can work together to make a treatment plan that helps you manage your CKD. Your healthcare team may include:

Your primary care doctor and other clinicians
Nephrologists (kidney specialists)
A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN)
A diabetes care and education specialist (if you have diabetes)
Pharmacists
Nurses
Mental health professionals
Social workers or case managers
Eye doctors (optometrist or ophthalmologist)
Foot doctors (podiatrists)

Questions worth asking at each visit:

What are the results of my latest kidney tests, and what do they mean? How do they compare to my last results?
Do we need to make any changes to my treatment plan to help me reach my targets?
What one change would make the biggest difference for my kidney health right now?
When should I have my kidneys tested again?

When You Need Extra Support

Some days, weeks, or months may feel more challenging than others. It’s OK if you’re finding it hard to get started or follow your treatment plan. This is a normal part of the journey.

A few things to keep in mind:

You’re not alone. There are millions of people living with CKD who understand what you’re going through.
Perfection isn’t the goal. There are going to be times when you don’t reach your health targets, or when life puts a roadblock in your way that makes it harder to follow your treatment plan. Remember that even the smallest steps count to support your kidney health.
Reaching out for support is an important step toward being able to take better care of yourself. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, ask your healthcare team for support.

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Hear From Someone Who Gets It

Meet Precious

The “Why” Behind Every Step: How Guidance, Access, and Support Shape My Care with Precious highlights the difference between a confusing care journey and a survivable one.

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