Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a common genetic disease. However, there
is no effective treatment for the disease. Therefore, effective prevention of
PKD development is extremely important for all patients. A healthy diet plays an
important role slowing the disease development.
1. Keep a low potassium
As the cysts enlarge, they will oppress the renal tissues thus causing kidney
damage. Therefore, the kidney can not discharge the potassium in their body
normally thus causing it to accumulate in their body. If the patients have too
high potassium intake, it will cause hyperkalemia, which can cause arrhythmia
and even death.
2. Limit salt intake properly
If the patients with PKD have high salt intake, it will cause their blood
pressure to increase. After the patients have too high salt intake, it will
cause the retention of sodium and water in body. It can cause their vascular
smooth muscle to swell, blood vessel wall to become thin. As a result, the
obstruction of blood vessels will increase. At the same time, with the sodium
content increase in blood, it can cause the blood volume to increase, which can
aggravate the burden to kidney and heart. Therefore, the patients’ blood
pressure will increase. Moreover, if the patients have retention of water and
sodium, it will cause or aggravate the original edema. Therefore, it is very
necessary to limit their salt intake when patients have serious Hypertension or
edema.
3. Limit phosphorus intake
Phosphorus is mainly discharged by kidney. For patients with Renal Failure,
they can not discharge the phosphorus in their body. Therefore, it the patients
have too high phosphorus intake, they are very likely to have
hyperphosphoremia.
4. Avoid high fat intake
If the patients have too high fat intake, it is very likely to cause
hyperlipemia. It can damage the endothelial cells of kidney thus causing the
permeability of blood vessels to increase. As a result, plasma lipoprotein can
enter blood vessels and deposit on the blood vessels inner membrance thus
causing arteriosclerosis.
5. Keep high vitamin intake
Vitamin plays an important role in energy metabolism. If the patients can not
get enough vitamins, it will cause serious energy disorder. As PKD patients’
renal functions decline, the patients often have vitamin metabolic disorder.
Therefore, the patients should keep enough vitamin intakes timely.
However, some patients on dialysis may lose mass protein and potassium in
their dialysis process. Therefore, this part of patients should increase these
substance intakes properly instead of limiting their intakes.
A healthy diet can prevent PKD development effectively and decline kidney
damage to patients. Therefore, the patients should pay more attention to what
they eat in their daily life and supply their nutrition intake properly
according to their own disease condition.