General Treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

The goal of therapy is to slow down or inhibit the progression of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) to stage 5. Control of blood pressure and treatment of the original disease, whenever feasible, are the broad principles of management. Generally, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotension II receptor antagonists (ARBs) are used, as they have been found to slow the progression of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) to stage 5. Although the use of ACE inhibitors and ARBs represents the current standard of care for patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), patients progressively lose kidney function while on these medications, which can be observed from an over time decrease of glomerular filtration rate in patients treated by these conventional methods.
Replacement of erythropoietin and aclcitriol, two hormones processed by the kidney, is often necessary in patients with advanced Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Phosphate binders are also used to control the serum phosphate levels, and which are usually elevated in advanced chronic kidney disease.
When one reaches stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), renal replacement therapy is required, in the form of either dialysis or a transplant. The normalization of hemoglobin has not been found to be of any benefit.

People with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are at a markedly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and often have other risk factors for heart disease, such as hyperlipidemia. The most common cause of death in people with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is therefore cardiovascular disease rather than renal failure. Aggressive treatment of hyperlipidemia is warranted.