How can you keep your heart healthy with chronic kidney disease (CKD)?

Keep your heart healthy with easy tips for people living with CKD. Learn how your heart and kidneys work together and simple ways to stay healthy.

calendar_month

August 21, 2025

edit

Kathleen Guerrera, MSN

schedule

4 minutes

What is cardiovascular disease?

Your heart and blood vessels, including both arteries and veins, make up your cardiovascular system. Cardiovascular disease includes conditions that affect the health of this system like high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stroke, heart attack, and others.

CKD and your heart

When you have CKD, extra fluid can build up and put more stress on your heart. The extra fluid causes your heart to pump harder and can lead to heart disease and high blood pressure.

Your kidneys also work to remove waste and toxins from your blood. If you have CKD, your kidneys cannot do this job as well. Buildup of waste and toxins can cause your heart and blood vessels to not be as healthy.

Lifestyle tips for keeping your heart healthy with CKD

Heart disease and CKD have many of the same risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and smoking. Taking steps to manage them can protect both your heart and your kidneys. Some lifestyle changes you can make include:

Tip

What to do

Getting regular exercise

Adding regular physical activity to your day can help you keep your heart healthy, stabilize blood sugars, maintain a healthy weight, and manage stress too! Choose an activity you enjoy like walking, yoga, dancing, tennis, gardening, or swimming. Talk to your care team before starting an exercise routine.

Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet

Following a diet that is low in sodium and rich in wholesome foods such as fruits and vegetables can keep your heart and kidneys healthy. Your team can work with you to create a nutrition plan that meets your overall health goals.

Maintaining a healthy body weight

Losing weight if needed can help lower your blood pressure and protect your heart and kidneys. Your care team can help you determine your ideal weight.

Avoiding smoking

Any amount of smoking can cause damage to your heart and blood vessels. If you need help quitting, talk to your care team to get the support you need.

Taking your medications

It’s important to take all your medications as prescribed. Check with your care team to determine what medications you should be taking and how frequently.

Managing your stress

Keep your heart healthy by adding habits that help manage your stress. Some examples include regular exercise, finding activities that bring you joy, getting enough sleep, limiting your alcohol, and connecting with others.

Key takeaways

Your heart and kidneys work together, so having CKD raises your risk for heart disease, and having heart disease can raise your risk for CKD.
Extra fluid buildup from CKD puts more stress on your heart, and a buildup of waste and toxins can affect your heart and blood vessels.
Heart disease and CKD share many of the same risk factors, including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and smoking.
Regular exercise, a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, taking your medications, and managing stress can all help protect your heart and kidneys.

We are here to help

Your care team can help answer your questions about keeping your heart healthy. Reach out for any support you need.

This serves only as a guide. Talk with your healthcare provider for more information based on your health needs.

Kathleen Guerrera, MSN

APRN, FNP-BC, CNN-NPNurse Practitioner, Interwell Health

Kathleen Guerrera, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CNN-NP, is a nurse practitioner with more than 25 years of healthcare experience. She has cared for patients in inpatient, ICU, hemodialysis, outpatient dialysis, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) settings. Kathleen earned degrees from Quinnipiac University, the University of New Haven, and Fairfield University.