Chronic Kidney Disease and Gastrointestinal Disorders

CKD patients commonly experience gastrointestinal symptoms including dysgeusia, anorexia, dyspepsia, hiccups, nausea, and vomiting. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage occurs frequently and may originate from peptic ulcer disease, vascular ectasia or diverticulosis, with uremic bleeding diathesis, ulcerogenic medications, and infections contributing to this increased bleeding tendency. Lower gastrointestinal tract symptoms include constipation and diarrhea. CKD also affects gastric motility, the pancreas, and the gall bladder. Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract may result in renal injury. Inflammatory bowel disease may affect kidney function through acid–base disorders, hypovolemia and kidney stones. Patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery may develop kidney stones and kidney injury. Amyloidosis may involve the GI tract as well as the kidney.