Resistance training in chronic renal failure

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), also known as chronic renal failure, is an irreversible disease characterized by the progressive loss of kidney function over time, usually a period of months to years.1,2 Prevalence data for CKD are difficult to ascertain given that the early stages of the disease process are typically asymptomatic,3 and given inconsistencies in diagnostic and classification systems. 4 However, recent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) suggest that 13.1% of adults (aged >20 years) living in the United States had Stage 1-4 CKD in 2004.5 More recent estimates by the United States Renal Data System suggest that 15.1% of the adult population in the United States has CKD.6 The prevalence of CKD has increased gradually over the past several decades within the United States5 and globally,7 and these trends are expected to continue. 7,8 Global estimates suggest that the prevalence of CKD is threatening to reach epidemic proportions in both developed and developing countries and that much of the burden can be attributed to the obesity/type 2 diabetes pandemic.7 Certain ethnic populations are severely affected by late-stage CKD. These cohorts include African-Americans9; Hispanic-Americans10; and the aboriginal people of Canada,11 the United States,12 New Zealand,13 and Australia,14 among others. The prevention and treatment of CKD globally will become a major challenge in the coming decades.7