Keeping your kidneys healthy

Thursday the 13th of March is World Kidney Day.

The theme of the campaign is “Are your kidneys okay?”. The focus is early detection to protect the health of your kidneys and prevent chronic kidney disease. Diabetes is one of the major risk factors for kidney disease. This means it is essential to have regular kidney function testing if you live with diabetes.

Find out more about World Kidney Day.

Other major risk factors include:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Cardiovascular disease (disease of the heart and blood vessels)
• High body weight
• Family history of kidney disease

Recommended testing

There are simple tests that your doctor can do to assess kidney function. As part of your annual cycle of care it is recommended to have a urine test and a blood test to check kidney function every 12 months. Having high blood pressure and blood glucose levels above target for long periods of time can increase the risk of damage to your kidneys. It is recommended to have your HbA1c tested every 6-12 months and blood pressure checked at every doctor's appointment or at least every 6 months.

See the NDSS Annual Cycle of Care factsheet for more information.

Keeping your kidneys healthy while living with diabetes

The best way to prevent or slow the progression of kidney disease is to keep blood glucose levels within target range. The filtering system within the kidneys is made up of tiny blood vessels. If blood glucose levels remain high over time, this can cause narrowing or clogging of these vessels meaning less blood flow to the kidneys which causes damage.

Eating a nutritious and well-balanced diet that contains minimal processed foods can help keep your kidneys healthy. The following tips can help you with managing blood pressure and blood glucose levels to reduce the risk of kidney disease.

1. Focus on quality and portion size of carbohydrates
When carbohydrate foods are digested, they are broken down into glucose and then released into the blood stream. Choosing good quality or Low GI carbohydrates will cause a slow and stable release of glucose into the bloodstream. Examples of low GI carbohydrates include wholegrain bread, sweet potato, most whole fruits, and dairy products such as milk and natural yoghurt. The portion size is also very important. Aim to fill ¼ of your plate with a low GI carbohydrate and balance the meal with ¼ plate lean protein – such as fish, chicken, lean red meat or eggs and ½ plate non-starchy or salad vegetables – such as leafy greens, zucchini, broccoli, capsicum, cucumber etc.
Learn more about carbohydrates and GI.
Attend a CarbSmart program to learn more about carbohydrates.

2. Reduce salt intake
Having a high salt diet is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure. Aim to minimise the salt you add to food. Instead add flavour using garlic, ginger, chilli, lemon/lime juice, herbs and spices. A simple way to reduce salt intake is to eat less processed and packaged foods. When you do buy packaged food try and buy the “reduced salt” or “no added salt” versions. You can also look for products with less than 400mg sodium per 100g on the Nutrition Information Panel.
Understanding food labels factsheet
Attend a ShopSmart program to learn more about label reading.

3. Eat a variety of food from each food group daily
Our 5 main food groups are fruit, vegetables, meat/meat alternatives, dairy and grains/cereals. The best way to make sure you are providing your body with all the key nutrients it needs is to try and eat a variety of food from each food group daily.
Healthy food choices factsheet

4. Be physically active
When you're active your muscles need more glucose for energy. Moving more and reducing the time spent sitting down can help lower your glucose levels while also keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy.

Nutrition for chronic kidney disease (CKD)

Nutrition considerations will be different if you are already living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). A kidney specialist dietitian can provide personalised nutrition advice based on your stage of CKD and blood test results.

You can find a kidney specialist dietitian using the "find a dietitian" page of the Dietitians Australia website.

If you would like to see an experienced diabetes dietitian, you can book online at the Diabetes Victoria Clinic, or call 1300 437 386.