I have a dilemma, I have heart failure and am at increased risk of cardiac arrest because I have had one already. I also have stage 3 chronic kidney disease + type 2 Diabetes.
The dietary requirements for heart failure include foods high in potassium and the main dietary requirements for those with chronic kidney disease include minimising or avoiding foods which contain potassium.
The food selections I am looking at are opposites. So I have a choice of managing the heart failure OR the kidney disease.
My current thinking is that I prioritise the heart related issues and then wait and see if I am offered dialysis at some point
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GosportNancy29
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It is not hard once you learn what you can eat and focus on that. I highly recommend you see a renal dietician to help you. There are some basics, like no red meat, low protein especially animal protein, and watch out for additives. Limit dairy, legumes and other high potassium veggies. You can use starch or carbs, but be mindful of how much. This is why a dietician can be beneficial. For now, get a food tracker and learn what is in the foods you want to eat.
I have to eat a potassium-rich diet for my heart health as I have heart failure and am at high risk of having another cardiac arrest. My diet is high in protein because that is what I eat to control my diabetes. I haven't got a renal dietician as I only found out by accident (when my NHS health record was updated on my NHS app) that I had been diagnosed as having stage 3 CKF in May 2022 and my GP hasn't mentioned this.
My post here is about the fact that I can't eat to help the Diabetes/heart issues/kidney disease together as the three lots of dietary advice are different
I am not sure who advised you to eat a lot of potassium for heart health. There is a very specific range you need to stay in. Too much, or too little is a walking heart attack. You really need specific guidance because a high level of protein for CKD and heart is not good.
The British Heart Foundation and Heart UK (the cholesterol charity) both recommend the Mediterranean diet (which is high in potassium) for heart health. Their information is always up to date so I go to both sites regularly for information about healthy heart function
My latest blood tests show that my potassium level is within the healthy range
Definitely the best diet choice for most people to thrive, although I removed the grains from my diet entirely. I live on the gulf coast so 9 months of the year, fresh fish is abundant here- I don't eat store-bought fish. My husband and I fish and also grow herbs, veges and fruit- March through November here is amazing!
I am speaking from experience with my brother’s ordeal
He was diagnosed the same as you sweetie
Your heart failure is your primary concern Do everything in your power to protect/support its function
Follow its protocols faithfully
I’m so very happy to hear you’ve survived failure My brother went through several failures with complications from everything else on several occasions
His body also went into calcium and magnesium depletions as well It is essential to keep these two levels as normal as possible
I understand what you are going through. I don't have heart disease, yet but do have diabetes and CKD stage 4. It is hard to eat the right way for both. I have to limit my potassium, but I think you're on the right track to eat for your heart disease. If that stops working, it doesn't matter what shape your kidneys are in. Also, if your diabetes is in control that's good for your whole body. As an aside, my dad had heart problems because of low potassium.
1. Stage 3 CKD that your GP did not mention may not become a big problem, more like a cloud in the distance to keep your eye on. So you're smart to prioritize heart health, but keeping an eye on your kidneys does mean modifying your diet somewhat. Kidney problems do affect the heart. Medical doctors are trained in medicine, not diet.
2. You probably don't need to restrict potassium and phosphorous if your lab values are normal and your GP didn't mention it. Mine mentions all my significantly abnormal lab values, especially ones related to diet.
3. There are ways to keep your blood sugar normal without eating a lot of protein. Do you test your blood sugar enough that you know how particular foods as well as intense feelings affect it?
I used to have afib and various heart abnormalities (not as serious as what you have) and what has turned out to be stage 3 CKD (though it seemed more serious at first). I did go on a vegan diet with lots of fruits, veggies and nuts and few grains or processed foods, (no sugar or sugar substitutes), interval training, and my heart problems got slowly better and are gone now, and my kidneys are also working a little better.
I have a second-hand history of Diabetes that goes back to 1986 when my son was diagnosed with type 1 when he was five. I went on to learn about type 2 and how to reverse this in 2008 when I was diagnosed with this. I test several times a day and have worked out that pairing carbs with protein worked for me. I am combining pairing foods with intermittent fasting and eating mostly protein-based foods as that works to keep my blood sugars stable and at the middle range.
I have had heart failure since the early 90s and avoided conventional heart meds until 2007 when it was suggested eighteen months after my cardiac arrest in 2016. I went into cardiac arrest in the hospital as a result of multiple organ failure which was triggered by the common cold virus. Viruses can be tricky,
I was one of the many people that were shielding in 2020 and I have carried on shielding since then because I am still vulnerable to any number of viruses. I really don't want to end up in ICU again
Contradictory diets are a problem for many of us. Frankly I have 4 contradictory medical diets. The best advice I've seen here is to eat to your labs. The low potassium and low phosphorus CKD diet is too general. For me, I NEED potassium because my CKD is from dehydration. My phosphorus is slightly high so I take phosphorus binders. Make sure to review your labs. Since you've already had a heart attack I suspect that diet is most important. That can kill you first since you are only stage 3 CKD.
I have never had a heart attack and I am not at high risk of having one. Many heart attacks are treated at home, so that doesn't worry me. I had a cardiac arrest and if I had one at home, then it would kill me because I live alone and I won't be able to call for an ambulance.
I haven't had any food plan suggested for me as my GP hasn't trained in dietetics and I don't see a dietitian. I have studied dietetics so take my advice
My blood testing is an annual thing, so I most likely won't get any more results until summer this year.
I have had heart failure for more than 30 years and treated it successfully with complementary medicine which isn't currently available in the UK. I find that a bit odd, as the same treatment is standard in The States and prescribed by cardiologists there and is covered by even pretty basic health insurance.
I have annual blood testing as standard and maybe the odd tests if my GP wants an update.
This bit was interesting from that link as I have Diabetes and episodes of low blood pressure and have been prescribed both ACE inhibitors and ARBs for heart failure and reacted badly to both. I now treat heart failure with CoEnzymeQ10
"11.4c An ACE inhibitor or an ARB is not recommended for the primary prevention of CKD in people with diabetes who have normal blood pressure, normal UACR (<30 mg/g creatinine), and normal eGFR. A"
Do you have a normal eGFR? If you eat a lot of red meat especially within 12 hours of your blood test, then this can cause a higher than normal blood creatinine. It’s the level of blood creatinine that gives the estimate of GFR. I’m sure you know this as you obviously read up on everything. Just wondering what your eGFR is. Also the ACE/ARB advice is for ‘prevention’ of CKD. How long have you actually had CKD? That you know of of course
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