Answers to what people with kidney disease ask: what the disease is, what the test results mean, what you can eat and how to live well with it.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) means the kidneys have been damaged or have worked less well than normal for at least three months. Around ten per cent of adults have it, most of them mildly and without noticing anything. The disease does not go away, but treatment can slow it down, often for many years.
Read the articleWhat chronic kidney disease is, the symptoms, the stages and the road ahead.
Most kidney disease is not inherited, but caused by high blood pressure and diabetes, which often run in families. Some kidney diseases are passed on directly, especially polycystic kidney disease and Alport syndrome. If a close relative has kidney disease, you should have your blood pressure, blood and urine checked.
Acute kidney injury often gets completely or almost completely better. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) usually does not go away, but its progress can often be slowed so much that many people never need dialysis. How long people live depends mostly on stage, albumin in the urine, age and the heart. With dialysis or a new kidney, life can still be good.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is divided into five stages by eGFR, from G1 (normal filtration, but signs of damage) to G5 (kidney failure, eGFR below 15). Stage 3 is split into 3a and 3b. You also get an albumin category from A1 to A3, and together they show how high your risk is.
The kidneys and the heart are closely linked. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) raises the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure, and cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in people with kidney disease. Much of the treatment protects both: good blood pressure, little salt and medicines that work on the kidneys and the heart at the same time.
Chronic kidney disease rarely causes symptoms at first, and many people notice nothing until kidney function is greatly reduced. When signs appear, the most common are tiredness, swollen legs, itching, nausea, poor appetite and changes in your urine. The only sure way to know is a blood test and a urine test.
eGFR, creatinine and albumin: what the numbers mean, and how the disease is found.
A little foam when you pee is common and is usually caused by a strong stream, concentrated morning urine or toilet cleaner in the bowl. If your urine foams a lot every time for several days, especially if you have swelling, diabetes or high blood pressure, it may be protein. A urine test at your GP gives the answer.
In young adults, eGFR is usually above 90, often around 100 to 115, and it falls gradually with age. An eGFR between 60 and 89 is common in older people and does not mean kidney disease on its own. If eGFR stays below 60 for more than three months, it counts as chronic kidney disease (CKD), whatever your age.
Kidney disease rarely causes early symptoms, so it is found with two simple tests: a blood test that shows eGFR and a urine test that measures albumin (uACR). If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or blood vessel disease, or kidney failure in the family, ask your GP for both, ideally every year.
Normal blood creatinine is 45 to 90 µmol/l for adult women and 60 to 105 µmol/l for adult men. High creatinine can mean reduced kidney function, but it can also come from a lot of muscle, creatine supplements, a large meat meal, dehydration or certain medicines. What the number means for you depends on your age and sex.
Protein in urine is often harmless and temporary, for example after hard exercise, with a fever or a urinary tract infection. If albumin in your urine is 3 mg/mmol or higher in at least two of three tests taken within three months, it can be an early sign of kidney damage, and your doctor should follow it up.
In kidney disease the same tests come back again and again: creatinine and eGFR for kidney function, urine albumin for leakage, and potassium, phosphate, calcium, PTH, haemoglobin and bicarbonate for what the kidneys regulate. Ranges vary a little between laboratories, and the trend over time says most.
Potassium, phosphorus, salt, protein and fluid, explained for people who have to think about their kidneys.
What is good for your kidneys is the same as what is good for your heart: little salt, plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains, water when you are thirsty, activity and no smoking. No food cleanses or repairs the kidneys. If you have kidney disease, the advice on potassium, phosphorus and protein may be different.
Cheese, milk, meat, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds are high in phosphorus. Added phosphate in sausages, sliced meats, processed cheese and ready meals is almost fully absorbed by the body, while phosphorus from grains and pulses is absorbed less well. If your phosphate is high, the first step is to cut food with phosphate E numbers.
The most potassium is found in dried fruit, brunost (Norwegian brown cheese), crisps, nuts, potatoes, avocado and banana. Apples, berries, rice, pasta and boiled vegetables are low in potassium. Boiling in plenty of water that you pour away can roughly halve the potassium. You only need to limit potassium if your blood tests or your doctor say so.
With kidney failure, the most important thing is to eat little salt and little ultra-processed food. Protein, potassium and phosphorus are adjusted to your stage and your blood tests, so the advice is not the same for everyone. Eggs, oats and most fruit can often be part of your diet. A clinical dietitian can make a plan for you.
In chronic kidney disease stages 3 to 5 without dialysis, KDIGO 2024 recommends around 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight a day, and not over 1.3 grams. On dialysis you need more, often 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilo. Do not cut protein on your own, because too little leads to muscle loss.
If you have kidney disease, less than 5 grams of salt a day is recommended, which is the same as less than 2 grams of sodium. Most Norwegians eat more. Most salt comes from bread, sliced meats, meat products and ready meals, not from the salt shaker. Avoid salt substitutes with potassium unless you have talked to your doctor.
With good or moderate kidney function, drinking to thirst is enough, and more water than that does not protect the kidneys. When kidney function becomes very low, and especially on haemodialysis, many people get a fluid limit, often around 700 ml a day plus what they pass as urine. Your doctor sets your limit.
The most common cause of kidney failure, and one you can influence most.
Diabetic kidney disease is kidney damage caused by diabetes over time. It rarely causes symptoms until it is advanced, so a yearly urine albumin test and eGFR blood test are the way to find it early. Good blood sugar, blood pressure below 130/80 and kidney protecting medicines can slow it a lot.
How blood pressure and the kidneys affect each other.
High blood pressure is the most common cause of kidney failure in Norway, and diseased kidneys in turn raise blood pressure. For most people with kidney disease the target is below 130/80. Less salt, blood pressure medicines that protect the kidneys and measuring correctly at home help the most.
Everyday life when the kidneys need help from a machine.
Dialysis cleans the blood of waste products and excess water when the kidneys can no longer do it themselves. Haemodialysis is usually done in hospital three times a week for about four hours, while peritoneal dialysis is done at home every day. The two forms work about equally well, and many people can have dialysis at home.
About half of people who start dialysis in Norway are alive five years later, and around three in ten after ten years. Some live for 20 years or more. Age and other illnesses matter most: most people under 55 live a long time, while the outlook is shorter for the oldest. A new kidney gives the best outlook.
Haemodialysis usually takes three to five hours, three times a week, and the days can feel very different. Your diet changes: you need more protein, but often have to watch potassium, phosphorus, salt and fluids. With some planning it is possible to work, travel and have good days.
Life before and after a new kidney.
Healthy adults over 18 can be assessed as a kidney donor for a family member or close friend. The risk is small but not zero: a slightly higher risk of high blood pressure and kidney failure later in life. You are examined thoroughly, lost income is covered, and you can withdraw at any time.
Yes. Most people with one healthy kidney, whether they were born that way, donated a kidney or lost one, live an ordinary life and as long as others. The single kidney takes over much of the work. The key is to check blood pressure, eGFR and albumin in your urine at least once a year.
For many people with severe kidney failure, a new kidney is the best treatment. All kidney transplants in Norway are done at Rikshospitalet in Oslo. The wait for a kidney from a deceased donor is about two years, and most kidneys work for many years, but you need anti-rejection medicines for life.
Exercise, medicines, caregivers and stories from people living with it.
No medicine cures chronic kidney disease, but several can slow it down: blood pressure medicines called ACE inhibitors or ARBs, SGLT2 inhibitors such as Forxiga and Jardiance, and in type 2 diabetes also finerenone and semaglutide. Other medicines, such as ibuprofen, must be used with care. Never change anything on your own.
A little alcohol now and then is rarely harmful to the kidneys on its own, but alcohol raises blood pressure, dehydrates the body and interacts with many medicines. With kidney disease it is therefore wise to drink little and rarely. If you are on dialysis, every drink counts towards your fluid limit.
If you have kidney disease, paracetamol (Paracet, Pinex, Panodil in Norway) is the safest painkiller you can buy without a prescription. Ibuprofen (Ibux), diclofenac (Voltaren), naproxen and other NSAIDs can lower kidney function and should be avoided as far as possible. If your eGFR is below 30, you should not use them. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking anything new.
Yes, you can and should exercise with kidney disease. International guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, adapted to what your body can manage. Both cardio and strength training help, also on dialysis and after a kidney transplant. Start gently and build up gradually.
When Cristian Velasquez became seriously ill with kidney disease in his late twenties, life was turned upside down. Two kidney transplants and many years of dialysis later, his experience has helped shape Nyrami, a platform that gives people with kidney disease more knowledge and insight to take an active part in their own health.
When someone you love has kidney disease: how you can help, what support there is, and how to look after yourself.
Kidney function declines with age in everyone, and an eGFR of 60 to 89 is common in older people. Kidney failure often causes vague signs such as tiredness, poor appetite and confusion. Dehydration, infection and medicines can cause acute kidney failure, which is urgent.
As a family carer, you help most by understanding the disease together with the person you love, supporting without taking over and looking after yourself. With consent you have a right to information, the municipality must offer support when care is heavy, and NAV has schemes for time off work.
End stage kidney failure means the kidneys have almost stopped working (stage 5, eGFR below 15). Dialysis, a new kidney or supportive care without dialysis is then needed. You have the right to say no to dialysis or to stop it. Symptoms can be relieved, and family members can get care allowance and leave.
The Nyrami app turns the guide's advice into something you can use in the shop and the kitchen: scan food and see potassium, phosphorus and salt assessed for you. Free on iPhone and Android.
