Medical Nutrition Therapy for Chronic Kidney Disease [Video]

More than 1 in 7 Americans have chronic kidney disease. “The job of the kidneys is the filter waste into your blood and out through your urine. When there’s been damage, that waste builds up in your bloodstream, and that can cause more chronic conditions such as heart disease or stroke,” said registered dietitian Stacy Laffin.

While you can’t reverse kidney disease, “You can improve the kidney function and maintain a long, healthy life in a certain stage without going on dialysis.” Dietitians can do this through medical nutrition therapy. “The sessions are very wonderful. In a sense we can take what they’re doing, work with them, one on one versus in a big group session and having it be cookie cutter, but making it specific to their lifestyle. Pinpointing areas they need to improve on. Giving them a meal plan and guidance,” said Laffin.

Since counseling is done over time, progress can be tracked. “The labs tell a story and so it can certainly show progression or improvement, and that’s where we can look at the labs and determine if they need more in-depth education, if they need to limit certain foods, or incorporate more into their diet,” said Laffin. The sessions are covered by Medicare and most commercial insurances. “When they leave, they feel a sense of relief but also a sense of empowerment and control. Like I can better manage this condition I feel like I’m doing better.”

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Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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