Diet for PKD Patients with High Blood Pressure

What diet is suggested for PKD patients who have elevated blood pressure? High blood pressure is a common illness, but for PKD patients, elevation of blood pressure may result from impairment of kidney function. Under such a case, a special diet is needed.

Diet recommendations for PKD patietns with high blood pressure

1. A low-sodium diet

High-sodium diet is the number one taboo for PKD patients with high blood pressure. For PKD patients, their kidney can not function properly. Under such a condition, if they inges too much sodium at one time, sodium level in blood will increase, which can trigger high blood pressure directly. Therefore, a low-sodium diet is necessary. Salt is the most common source for sodium, so in daily life, PKD patients should avoid eating too much salt.

2. High potassium diet

Researches on high blood pressure has shown that potassium lowers blood pressure levels, so a high potassium diet is beneficial for some PKD patients. However, this does not mean all the PKD patients can have a high potassium diet to control high blood pressure. Actually PKD also plays the role of keeping electrolyte balance. When kidney function is impaired due to PKD, potassium level in blood increases. Under such a condition, a low-potassium diet is necessary. Therefore, for PKD patients, they need to make sure their potassium level is in normal range before they have high potssium diet.

3. Avoid drinking alcohol

For PKD patients, they need to stay far away from alcohol, because some substance in alcohol can stimulate kidney cyst and cause its quick enlargement. In PKD, elevation of blood pressure is due to decline of kidney function. Kidney cysts enlarge, leading to further deterioration of kidney condtion. Under such a condition, blood pressure may become much higher. Therefore, PKD patients should give up the bad habit of drinking alcohol.

Lastly, high blood pressure is just one of the symptoms of PKD. Apart from it, patients are also at high risk for back pain, proteinuria, anemia and bloating abdomen. As all these symptoms appear due to impairment of kidney function, so the best management of them is improvement of kidney function.