Nutritional management of patients suffering of chronic renal failure: an up-to-date

Nutritional support constitutes a fundamental approach to favour the management of chronic renal failure and to postpone the need of kidney dialysis. The specific goals of the nutrition intervention are: control of protein intake, control of phosphate and of calcium intake, control of potassium intake, control of energy intake, control of lipid intake with clear identification of the polyunsaturated vs monounsaturated vs saturated fatty acid rate, control of vitamin intake, prevention of malnutrition and intervention with oral supplements or artificial nutrition (even if for short time) if malnutrition occurs. The proper management of the nutritional problems of patients with chronic renal failure slows the disease progression, prevents or controls symptoms associated with uremia and postpones the beginning of substitutive treatment that is of hemodialysis or of peritoneal dialysis, thus allowing a better quality of life either in the short or long term for patients suffering of chronic renal failure.