Chronic Kidney Disease

Care for Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the loss of kidney function over time. At Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, we partner with you to try to prevent that from happening. Although there’s no cure for CKD, there are ways to keep your kidneys as healthy as possible. We’ll be at your side to offer guidance and support every step of the way.

You can depend on our nephrology team to:

• Teach you about CKD and how to take care of yourself.
• Help you understand which treatments may help you and determine which ones are most effective.
• Answer your questions.
• Keep you informed about changes that occur with your CKD.

Early Treatment Options

The type of treatment you receive depends on the cause and stage of the disease. We often manage early CKD by working to control its cause—such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

We’ll help you:

• Avoid tobacco.
• Be physically active.
• Eat a kidney-healthy diet.
• Keep your blood sugar in check.
• Limit alcohol if you choose to drink.
• Lower your blood pressure.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Manage medications that might benefit you.

Our physicians, nurses, nutritionists and social workers will help you achieve your treatment goals.

Treating Advanced Disease

Most people with CKD never reach the most advanced stages of the disease, where they need treatment to stay alive. If you do, these treatments are available:

• Dialysis: artificial kidney replacement treatment that filters the blood and removes the waste products
• Kidney Transplant: surgical placement of a healthy kidney

End-of-Life Care

People in the final stage of CKD may decide at some point that they no longer want to treat their disease. We can help you with end-of-life planning and offer palliative care to address your symptoms and makes you as comfortable as possible.

No matter your decision, we’ll be there to support you and those who care about you.