CHAPTER 40 – Nutrition and Renal Disease

Nutrition science research in renal disease mainly directed toward determining if nutrients modulate progressive renal disease, influence metabolic abnormalities associated with established disease and serve as a therapy for the nutritional consequences associated with chronic renal failure. The data discussed in chapter allows sophistication in understanding the interaction between nutrients and how they might modulate mechanisms of renal disease. Clinical research completed in the past decade has established a relationship between nutritional status and outcome in patients who require dialysis therapy. This data impacts the clinical arena through increased attention to nutrition assessment, monitoring, and intervention as components of medical care. It is the intent of this chapter to summarize the past and present nutrition science base underlying current nutrition recommendations and treatment for the patient with chronic renal insufficiency, the patient requiring renal replacement therapy, and care during post-transplantation.