Nutritional implications of renal disease. I. Current overview and general principles.

Treatment exclusively by nutritional means does not appear to provide a therapeutic answer for the patient with complete loss of renal function. Clearly, however, rational dietary treatment prior to ultimate loss of renal function is a valuable, ameliorating therapy in chronic progressive renal failure and--once the patient is on maintenance dialysis--it is a major deciding factor in the success of this life-maintaining regimen.