Q: Two years back, my wife was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy. Last year her creatinine was 3.5 mg/dl, BUN 28 mg/dl, potassium 5.1 meq/L and haemoglobin (with espogen injection 2000 IU) 10.8 g/dl. After doing yoga and following a strict diet, her creatinine is now 1.5 mg/dl, BUN is 15 mg/dl, potassium is 6.28 meq/Land haemoglobin has reduced to 9.3 g/dl. Her weight has increased from 65 to 68 kg. Has her kidney regained some of its lost function due to reduction in the creatinine level? Does increased potassium pose any threat?

A:You should get your wife's serum creatinine and urea checked again to reconfirm these values (sometimes the values vary because of many factors). If it is so, then it does seem that some improvement in kidney function has occurred. It may be related to some improvement in reversible factors, which may have been responsible for deterioration in kidney function. Her potassium is high at 6.2 meq/L and she needs to cut down her potassium intake. She should consult her nephrologist to see if there is anything in the diet which has high potassium – like dry fruits, fruit juices or green leafy vegetables. High potassium is not good for the heart.