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                    Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)

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        What is PKD?
                Autosomal Dominant PKD
                Autosomal Recessive PKD
                Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for PKD
                Renal Artery Stenosis
                Renal Tubular Acidosis
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                Your Kidneys & How They WorkPolycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)

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    What is PKD?
    Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder that causes many cysts to grow in the kidneys. PKD cysts cause high blood pressure and problems with blood vessels in the brain and heart. Cysts in the liver can also occur with PKD.
An illustration of a normal kidney and a polycystic kidney.

    Autosomal Dominant PKD
    Autosomal dominant PKD is often not diagnosed until later in adulthood. For this reason, health care providers often call autosomal dominant PKD "adult PKD." In many cases, PKD does not cause signs or symptoms until cysts are half an inch or larger.


Autosomal Recessive PKD
    Autosomal recessive PKD is a rare genetic disorder that affects the liver as well as the kidneys. The signs of autosomal recessive PKD frequently appear in the earliest months of life, even in the womb, so health care providers often call it "infantile PKD."

    Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for PKD
    PKD may require changes in what you eat to control blood pressure. Following a healthy eating plan can help lower blood pressure. A health care provider may recommend the DASH eating plan, which focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and foods lower in sodium.

    Related Conditions & Diseases
    Chronic Kidney Disease
    Kidney Disease in Children
    Simple Kidney Cysts
    Kidney Stones
    Urinary Tract Infections


Kidney Failure
    What to Expect
    Choosing a Treatment
    Hemodialysis
    Peritoneal Dialysis
    Kidney Transplant


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        Last Reviewed October 2017

    

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                What is PKD?

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