Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Chronic Kidney Disease Navigator Program at UVM Health
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) means that your kidneys no longer filter blood as they should. Without healthy kidney function, fluid and waste products build up in your body and increase your risk of developing other serious health conditions.
At the University of Vermont Health Chronic Kidney Disease Navigator Program, we understand that managing CKD can feel challenging. Our nutritionists, nurses, navigators and social workers are by your side through every step with comprehensive, compassionate care.
Why Choose UVM Health?
The CKD Navigator Program gives people with advanced CKD the information they need to make care decisions. Our clinics are located throughout Vermont and northern New York, so you’re never far from expert care. Whenever possible, we offer digital consultations, so you don’t have to travel.
As one of the leading kidney care programs in the region, we offer:
- Experience and expertise: Our nephrologists have years of experience and specialized training in diagnosing and treating CKD. They’re experts in helping you preserve as much healthy kidney function as possible, for as long as possible.
- Team-based care: Our kidney care team works closely with board-certified cardiologists, endocrinologists, neurologists and surgeons. Together, they provide comprehensive care for every system in your body and support you with treatments and lifestyle changes to improve your health.
- Leading-edge research: As part of a health system anchored by an academic center, our physician-leaders participate in research and innovation to improve patient care. Your provider may talk with you about participating in a clinical trial or research study.
What Causes CKD?
Chronic kidney disease is kidney damage that happens over time and leads to a progressive loss of kidney function. You are a greater risk of developing CKD if you have high blood pressure (hypertension) or diabetes. CKD may also occur if you have:
- Autoimmune disease: Conditions in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue, like lupus
- Glomerulonephritis: Disorders that cause inflammation and damage to tiny filters (glomeruli) inside your kidneys
- Kidney stones: Hard pebble-like deposits that may obstruct the kidney
- Polycystic kidney disease (PKD): An inherited kidney disease
CKD Symptoms
Symptoms of CKD may not appear until kidney function declines significantly. As CKD worsens, you may develop:
- Decreased appetite
- Fatigue
- Frequent urination
- Itching and dry skin
- Muscle cramps
- Swelling in the ankles and feet
When your kidneys can no longer filter your blood, end-stage renal disease (kidney failure) occurs.
CKD may also cause other health conditions, including:
- Anemia
- Cardiovascular disease
- Hypertension
- Swelling (edema)
Monitoring Chronic Kidney Disease
As CKD worsens, kidney function declines. Your nephrologist monitors your condition with blood tests to measure levels of a waste product called creatinine and a protein called cystatin C. We use the results of these tests to determine your estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a measure of how well your kidneys filter blood. This helps us determine how well your kidneys are functioning and your stage of kidney disease.
The stages of chronic kidney disease are:
- Stage 1 (eGFR 90 or higher): Mild kidney damage with healthy kidney function
- Stage 2 (eGFR 60-89): Increasing kidney damage, but healthy kidney function
- Stages 3a and 3b (eGFR 45-59 (stage 3a) or 30-44 (stage 3b)): More severe kidney damage and some loss of kidney function
- Stage 4 (eGFR 15-29): Advanced kidney damage with limited kidney function
- Stage 5 (eGFR less than 15): Kidney failure
If your eGFR is between 15 and 20, we invite you to join the Chronic Kidney Disease Navigator Program for education and support as you make care decisions.
What to Expect
We aim to make the Chronic Kidney Disease Navigator Program a friendly, inclusive and supportive place that provides all the support you need to manage your condition.
As part of this program, you will:
- Take part in a six-week education program about your treatment options as CKD progresses
- Get support from a CKD patient navigator, a team member who serves as your program guide, answers questions as you learn about treatment options and helps you make decisions about your care
- Receive monthly monitoring from a CKD nurse
- Get help making lifestyle changes to support kidney health from dedicated nutritionists and social workers
You can choose to stay in the program to help manage declining kidney function and learn about treatment options for kidney failure. If you progress to kidney failure, you leave the CKD Navigator Program and our team supports you in choosing a treatment option:
- Dialysis: Takes over your kidney function when your kidneys have failed
- Kidney transplant: Surgery to replace your diseased kidneys with healthy kidneys from a donor
- Conservative management: Palliative care to help manage your symptoms and maintain your quality of life if you have chosen not to pursue further treatment options
Locations Near You
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91 Plaza Boulevard
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
20 Fourth Street
Malone, NY 12901
3113 Roosevelt Highway
Colchester, VT 05446
1 South Prospect Street
Rehab, Level 2
Burlington, VT 05401-5505
111 Colchester Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401-1473
