Nutrition and Kidney

Renal disease is a progressive disease. It embraces a number of clinical conditions whose common feature  is  decline in GFR, development and progression of cardiovascular disease and malnutrition. Renal disease does not occur in isolation, rather it is multifactorial. Slowing its progression necessitates concerted effort of renal health care team consisting of nephrologist, dietician, psychologist  and other specialists depending upon clinical presentation and comorbidities. Most widely studied interventions till date have been on hypertension,  proteinuria and dyslipidemia.

A non-nephrologist-family-physician is the first point of contact of a patient with kidney disease. Controlling common causes of renal disease such as hypertension and hyperglycemia is made possible with the advent of newer drug prescriptions by the non-nephrologist physician, but, writing right prescription for diet is where a non-nephrologist physician miscues. Renal nutrition is a super-specialty not known to many. Nutritional requirements of patients with chronic kidney disease are varied. No single diet plan can cover the changing requirements of CKD patients with transition from one stage to another. Nutrition has a strategic role in renal medicine in alleviating symptoms and delaying progression of disease, preventing malnutrition and promoting quality of life. Uremic syndrome associated with loss of appetite and a variety of gastrointestinal adverse effects, which results in reduced nutritional intake is a challenge difficult to manage. Presence of co-morbidities makes this task even more challenging. There is a lacuna in the awareness on the dietary requirements both at the clinician’s level and on the patients end.

To bridge this gap, Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism (India) was established in the year 2014 with the aim to educated non-nephrologist physicians, nephrologists and dieticians for better clinical outcome of the patient. The society organizes a two days course annually in Renal Nutrition and Metabolism and a national conference to promote awareness amongst medical fraternity and paramedics. The society in Association with Association of Physicians of India (API) and  Indian Medical Association  (IMA) conducts CME to educate physicians to bring wrong practices in renal nutrition to a complete halt. The society has reached more than 3 billion people to apprise them of chronic kidney disease and ways to prevent malnutrition in the patients. SRNM is publishing quarterly its official journal “Journal of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism “ SRNM  and  WIN have come together to take Renal Nutrition to higher level.

To promote knowledge, study and practice of the specialty of Renal Nutrition and Nephrology.

To run certificate courses, and diplomas of proficiency in the specialty of Renal Nutrition and Nephrology for physicians in cities and in rural areas.

To bring about clarity on renal diet short on-line courses of one week covering a wide range of topics will be held every three months. These certificate courses will be meant specifically for MBBS, MD, DM and DBM students.

Topics will include:

1. Pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease and  its consequence malnutrition.
2. Management of specific conditions like acute kidney injury, glomerular diseases, involvement of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, maintenance dialysis, critical care and conditions specific to kidney transplant recipients.
3. Hyperphosphatemia, electrolyte imbalances – hypo -hyperkalemia, hypo-hypernatremia and acidosis.
4. The aim of this course will be to bring an update on recent advances in the care and management of patients with kidney disease.

Career Building:

Six weeks Certificate courses are proposed for general dieticians to develop dedicated renal dieticians/nutritionists who are skilled in preventing malnutrition in patients with chronic kidney disease and for  improving clinical nutritional care  for better outcome in terms of reduced morbidity and mortality.

Research (WIN):

We propose to encourage research in the field of Renal Nutrition with grants and travel grants for promoting partcipation in conferences

Professor (Dr.) Anita Timmy Saxena

MD (AM), PhD, PhD (Cambridge), FRCP (London)

Department of Nephrology 
Sanjay Gandhi  Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow 226014

1. International Woman 1999-2000 Cambridge, England
2. Awardee FICCI Outstanding Woman in Medicine and Healthcare  2020
3. Awardee Bharat Ratna Dr APJ Kalam Excellence 2021
4. International Award of Excellence for keeping the Indian Flag High 2019
5. Bharat Jyoti Award 2017
6. Secretary, Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism
7. Editor Journal of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism

Email: anitimmy@yahoo.com
Mobile: +919453019812, +919918422252,+918004904354