What lifestyle modifications and monitoring strategies are recommended for patients diagnosed with IgA nephropathy?

Lifestyle modifications recommended for patients with IgA nephropathy include:

• Encouraging regular exercise, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, and smoking cessation to reduce risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and cardiovascular disease ¹,³,⁴.
• Dietary advice tailored to CKD severity, including managing potassium, phosphate, calorie, and salt intake, with supervision to prevent malnutrition; low-protein diets are not recommended ⁴.

Monitoring strategies for patients with IgA nephropathy (a form of CKD) include:

• Regular assessment of kidney function using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR), with frequency tailored to the patient’s CKD stage, risk factors, and clinical status ¹,³,⁴.
• Monitoring blood pressure closely, aiming for targets below 140/90 mmHg if ACR is less than 70 mg/mmol, and below 130/80 mmHg if ACR is 70 mg/mmol or more, using ACE inhibitors or ARBs as first-line treatment for hypertension with proteinuria ³,⁴.
• Regular monitoring for disease progression by tracking changes in eGFR and ACR, with more frequent checks if there is accelerated decline or other risk factors ¹,³.
• Screening for and managing cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities, as patients with CKD are at increased cardiovascular risk ¹,³,⁴.
• Providing education and information to patients and carers about CKD, its progression, treatment options, and self-management strategies to support informed decision-making ¹,⁴.