Patient Education Library: Flyers

Begin to learn what kidneys do, why kidney health matters, and how chronic kidney disease can affect the body. These flyers provide basic kidney health information and simple steps people can take to protect their kidneys.

• About Your Kidney Health
• How Your Kidneys Work
• Kidneys and Chronic Kidney Disease
• Making Choices to Keep You and Your Kidneys Healthy
• 6 Steps to Prevent Kidney Disease
• 5 Surprising Ways You May Be Damaging Your Kidneys

What are the common factors for chronic kidney disease and how conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity can affect kidney health? These flyers can help people understand when to get tested and what steps may lower their risk.

• Are You at Risk for Chronic Kidney Disease?
• Kidney Disease and Diabetes 
• Kidney Disease and Heart Disease
• Kidney Disease and High Blood Pressure
• Kidney Disease and Obesity

Understand the tests used to check kidney health and what common kidney numbers may mean. These flyers can support conversations with a doctor and help people track changes in their kidney health over time.

• Chronic Kidney Disease and CKD Testing
• Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate
• Kidney Numbers and the CKD Heatmap
• IgA Nephropathy: Know Your Numbers

These flyers can help people understand next steps after a kidney disease diagnosis and ways to manage their health over time. Topics include staying active, living with one kidney, vaccines, and everyday steps that may support kidney health.

• Newly Diagnosed with Kidney Disease
• 7 Ways to Help Manage Chronic Kidney Disease
• Ways to Improve Your Health When You Have Kidney Disease
• Living with One Kidney
• Staying Fit with Kidney Disease
• Subcutaneous Injections for  Immunotherapy in Kidney Cancer
• Vaccines and Kidney Disease

Nutrition needs can change based on a person’s stage of kidney disease, treatment plan, labs, culture, budget, and overall health. This section brings together flyers on eating well, nutrients to watch, plant-based eating, cultural food choices, and transplant nutrition to help people make food choices that fit their individual care plan.

Eating well with kidney disease

• Good Nutrition
• Eating Well with Kidney Disease on a Limited Budget
• Medical Nutrition Therapy for Kidney Disease

Nutrients to watch

• If You Need to Limit Sodium
• If You Need to Limit Potassium
• If You Need to Limit Phosphorus
• If You Need to Limit Protein
• Kidney Disease and Protein
• Low Protein Diet and CKD

Kidney Friendly Diets

• Plant Based Diets and Early CKD
• Plant Based Diets and Kidney Failure

Kidney-Friendly Diet by Culture

• African American Kidney Friendly Diet
• Caribbean Kidney Friendly Diet
• Mexican Kidney Friendly Diet

Transplant Nutrition

• Kidney Transplant Diet

Learn how fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy choices, grains, herbs, and pantry foods may fit into a kidney-friendly eating pattern. Each food guide offers simple tips to help people better understand ingredients, nutrients, and choices that may work with their care plan.

Fruits

• Açai Berries
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Pomegranate
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes

Vegetables

• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Leafy Greens
• Root Vegetables
• Squash

Proteins and Dairy

• Beans
• Low Phosphorus Cheese
• Eggs
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Tofu
• Milk Alternatives

Pantry and cooking

• Flax and Chia Seeds
• Healthy Fats and Oils
• Herbs
• Nuts and Seeds
• Spices
• Whole Grains

Information  for people exploring treatment options for kidney failure, including dialysis, home dialysis, and kidney transplant. These flyers can help people understand their choices, prepare for treatment, and talk with their doctor about what may be right for them.

Dialysis 

• Diabetes and Dialysis
• Home Dialysis What You Need to Know 
• Getting Ready for Home Dialysis

Kidney Transplant

• Kidney Transplantation
• Immunosuppressants and Kidney Transplant
• What to Know About High KDPI Fact Sheet
• What To Know About IRD Kidneys

This flyer can help potential donors, recipients, and families understand the basics of living donation and where to find more support.

• What to Know About Living Donation

These resources can help people better understand specific diagnoses or lab findings and prepare for conversations with their doctor.

• Acute Kidney Injury
• Kidney Disease and Albuminuria/Proteinuria
• Kidney Disease and Metabolic Syndrome

This section includes flyers that can help people prepare for conversations with their doctor about kidney disease, nutrition, treatment options, and next steps in their care. These questions can make it easier to understand what to ask, what to write down, and how to take an active role in care decisions.

CKD Basics and Diagnosis

• What Causes Chronic Kidney Disease
• About Chronic Kidney Disease

CKD stages

• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 1
• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 2
• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3a
• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3b
• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 4
• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 5

Nutrition and kidney disease

• About Nutrition: Early Stage CKD
• About Nutrition: Kidney Failure/Dialysis
• Eating Well with Kidney Disease on a Limited Budget
• Medical Nutrition Therapy

Kidney failure and treatment options

• Kidney Failure and Symptoms
• In Center Hemodialysis
• What is Kidney Transplant?
• Medications and CKD Stage 4

Learn about kidney health

• 6 Steps to Prevent Kidney Disease
• 5 Surprising Ways You May Be Damaging Your Kidneys
• How Your Kidneys Work
• Kidneys and Chronic Kidney Disease
• Making Choices to Keep You and Your Kidneys Healthy

Know your risk

• Are You at Increased Risk for CKD?
• Kidney Disease and Heart Disease

Understand your kidney numbers and tests

• Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate

Kidney conditions that may affect your care

• Acute Kidney Injury
• Kidney Disease and Albuminuria/Proteinuria
• Kidney Disease and Metabolic Syndrome

Nutrition and kidney disease

• Kidney Disease and Protein
• Kidney Transplant Diet
• Low Protein Diet and CKD
• Plant Based Diets and Early CKD
• Plant Based Diets and Kidney Failure
• If You Need to Limit Sodium
• If You Need to Limit Potassium
• If You Need to Limit Phosphorus
• If You Need to Limit Protein

Fruits

• Açai Berries
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Pomegranate
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes

Vegetables

• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Leafy Greens
• Root Vegetables
• Squash

Proteins and Dairy

• Beans
• Low Phosphorus Cheese
• Eggs
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Tofu
• Milk Alternatives

Pantry and cooking

• Flax and Chia Seeds
• Healthy Fats and Oils
• Herbs
• Nuts and Seeds
• Spices
• Whole Grains

Manage kidney disease

• Living with One Kidney
• Staying Fit with Kidney Disease
• 7 Ways to Help Manage Your Kidney Disease
• Newly Diagnosed with Kidney Disease
• Subcutaneous Injections for Immunotherapy in Kidney Cancer

Kidney failure, dialysis, and transplant

• Diabetes and Dialysis
• High KDPI Fact Sheet

Questions to ask your doctor

• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 1
• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 2
• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3a
• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3b
• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 4
• Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 5

Find patient education flyers available in languages.

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