Questions to Ask

Managing chronic kidney disease, along with related conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and excess weight, is a team effort.

Be sure to ask your health care team about how to best slow declines in kidney function and manage your risk of cardiovascular disease. Here are some questions you might consider asking during your next visit.

• How does my kidney health affect my heart?
• What is my risk of getting kidney disease?
• Are there symptoms or changes I should watch for?
• What is my blood pressure and what should it ideally be?
• What are some everyday choices I can make to keep my kidneys and heart healthy or slow any kidney damage?
• How often should I have my kidneys checked with urine and/or blood tests?
• What is my current GFR and UACR and what do these results mean? Have they changed since the last time these were checked?
• What stage of kidney disease do I have (if applicable)?
• What should my target blood pressure be to help protect my kidneys and my heart?
• What lifestyle changes are most important for me to start making?
• Should I take any medication(s) to help protect both my heart and kidneys? What if I already have kidney or heart disease?
• Are over-the-counter NSAIDs (ibuprofen or naproxen) safe for me to take?
• Are there things I should focus on in my diet? I know low sodium is better. What should be my limit?