World Kidney Day 2026: The second Thursday in March is observed as World Kidney Day, aimed at raising awareness and educating people about the role of kidneys and preventing kidney disease. This year’s campaign theme is Kidney Health For All.
World Kidney Day 2026: Expert offers crucial insights about why fasting is not recomemnded for kidney patients.
The campaign highlights that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is becoming increasingly common. According to a 2020 The Lancet study, 1 in 10 people are affected. The biggest source of worry is that CKD can progress to advanced stages silently because the early warning signs are usually missed or overlooked, making early screening and detection extremely vital.
From a global public health perspective, kidney diseases pose a significant burden. According to the International Institute of Nephrology, more than 850 million people worldwide have some form of kidney disease. To put the numbers into perspective, they have compared them with other common chronic ailments. Kidney disease cases are roughly double the number of people with diabetes (422 million) and about 20 times higher than the global prevalence of cancer (42 million) or people living with HIV/AIDS (36.7 million.)
Now, let’s look at kidney health from a daily lifestyle perspective and identify potential challenges. One such major challenge is fasting- when a person goes for long hours without eating food or sometimes even drinking water. Fasting is quite common in everyday life, whether for religious reasons, spiritual cleansing or dietary practices such as intermittent fasting or OMAD (one meal a day). But with fasting becoming increasingly normalised, a very important question surfaces: Should people with certain health conditions, such as kidney disease, practice fasting? Or are there safety concerns they should take note of?
To clarify the doubt, HT Lifestyle spoke to Dr Hima Deepti Alla, senior consultant – nephrology and renal transplant at Arete Hospitals. He shared that while healthy individuals can get by and tolerate short fasts well, those with kidney disease need to be careful.
“Kidneys depend heavily on steady hydration and stable body chemistry, and long gaps without food or fluids can sometimes do more harm than expected,” the nephrologist asserted, highlighting why kidneys may suffer from adverse impact because of fasting.
Warning signs during fast
If you are a kidney patient and fasting, here are 10 warning signs the doctor highlighted that you should watch out for. If they appear, stop fasting immediately and seek medical help:
Persistent dizziness
Unusual exhaustion
Swelling of the feet
Swelling of the face
Noticeably reduced or dark urine
Muscle cramps
Racing heartbeat
Nausea
Confusion
Shortness of breath
Why should kidney patients reconsider fasting?
People with impaired kidney function or kidney-related diseases need to exercise extra caution. Here are the reasons why they need to be careful:
1. Dehydration from fasting becomes risky
When you fast for long hours without food (and/or water), it can affect your body’s hydration levels, even in otherwise healthy people. Dr Alla cautioned that even mild dehydration can put stress on the kidneys. For someone with kidney disease, who is already vulnerable due to reduced kidney function, the impact can be more pronounced. While fasting, the doctor highlighted two symptoms to watch out for: persistent thirst and unusual tiredness. These may indicate that the kidneys are struggling to keep up with the body’s fluid balance, and should not be ignored.
2. If you are on dialysis
For people undergoing dialysis, fasting can put the body under a lot of stress as the kidneys are already unable to perform normal functions, and fasting puts additional stress on the body.
The nephrologist explained why it may be critical for dialysis patients:”Fluid balance, blood pressure stability, and electrolyte levels are already tightly managed through treatment schedules.” Because dialysis replaces some of the functions normally done by the kidneys, patients usually follow carefully planned routines. But long hours of going without food or water can disrupt this schedule. In fact, the doctor revealed fasting for a long time is detrimental because of an increase in dizziness, weakness and fluctuations in blood pressure.
3. Advanced chronic kidney disease (Stage 4 or 5)
For advanced kidney diseases, the doctor warned it is not advisable to fast. “With advanced kidney disease, the body finds it harder to manage sudden changes in food or fluid intake. Long gaps without eating or drinking can upset electrolyte balance and make symptoms harder to control,” he said.
4. Recent illness or kidney injury
Likewise, anyone ailing with issues like acute kidney injury, infection, surgery, or a recent hospital stay, as per the nephrologist, should also pause fasting because to heal, one requires proper nutrition and hydration.
5. Kidney transplant patients
Dr Alla cautioned transplant patients, advising them not to fast. The reason why, he explained, “Transplant patients usually take anti-rejection medicines at fixed daily timings. Fasting routines can disrupt these schedules and affect medication levels.”
Can some kidney patients fast safely?
In the end, we asked if kidney patients can fast at all safely or if it is completely off-limits for everyone with kidney-related health issues. The doctor answered, “Those with early or mild kidney disease may sometimes fast with planning.” This means those with mild issues can manage fasting if they are strategic in terms of planning.
“Hydration during non-fasting hours should be gradual rather than excessive at once. Meals should be balanced, avoiding very salty foods that increase thirst,” Dr Alla discussed the pre-requisites. And lastly, medication, which he pointed out, should also be clarified with the medical doctor before beginning fast. This way, you are prepared and can avert possible medical emergencies.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
