SUBANG JAYA, Oct 13 — The National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia (NKF) is called for the stronger translation of nutrition evidence into everyday kidney care, as healthcare professionals gathered at the 6th Renal Nutrition Conference 2026 to examine how emerging evidence, practical skills and patient-centred approaches can improve nutritional care for people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
The two-day conference, held at Grand Dorsett Subang on Saturday and Sunday, gathered 450 healthcare professionals from across the renal care community, including nephrologists, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals.
Held under the theme “Translating Nutrition Evidence into Kidney Patient Care”, the conference focused on a key issue facing renal care today. It emphasised ensuring that advances in nutrition research and clinical recommendations do not stay within guidelines and academic discussions, but are translated into practical approaches that can be applied in patient care.
NKF board of directors vice-chairman Dr Thiruventhiran Thilagananthan said the evolving nutritional needs of CKD patients require healthcare professionals to continuously translate evidence into meaningful clinical practice.
“Renal nutrition is evolving, and with new evidence and updated recommendations, we must also evolve the way we care for our patients. Knowledge is important, but its true value lies in how we translate it into practice and whether it ultimately makes a difference to the patient,” he said.
The conference highlighted five key areas shaping renal nutrition today.
Translating latest evidence into practice
A key focus was the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2024 recommendations and how updated evidence could be applied across different stages of CKD. The discussions emphasised the importance of moving beyond simply understanding guidelines towards appropriately applying them in real-world clinical settings.
The programme also addressed increasingly complex nutritional challenges, including obesity, ultra-processed foods, protein intake, protein-energy wasting, sarcopenia, and frailty.
Prioritising patient needs
Patient-centred care was another important focus, particularly the challenge of dietary adherence.
A dedicated forum, “My patients can’t follow the diet, what can I do?”, brought together a nephrologist, CKD nurse, dietitian and dialysis patient to discuss how dietary interventions could be better co-designed with patients and made more realistic and sustainable.
“The question is not only what the patient should do, but what we can do to help the patient succeed,” shared Dr Thiruventhiran.
From knowledge to practical skills
The Renal Nutrition Conference 2026 also placed emphasis on practical application, with workshops covering phosphate control using real-world food examples and food labels, nutrition screening and assessment, and muscle function assessment.
The programme also explored digital health and innovation, including the potential use of mobile apps and digital tools to support dietary monitoring, education and follow-ups.
Other emerging areas included the gut microbiome, physical activity in CKD, and nutrition management during Ramadan and festive seasons.
Strengthening multidisciplinary kidney care
The discussions reinforced the importance of collaboration between nephrologists, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals in addressing the complex nutritional needs of kidney patients.
For NKF, this reflects its broader commitment to prevention, intervention, education, research and advocacy, alongside providing subsidised haemodialysis care.
Dr Thiruventhiran added that healthcare professionals should continue to consider three fundamental questions: whether we are keeping up with the latest evidence, how we can translate that evidence into practice, and most importantly, whether our patients are benefiting from it.
“The ultimate measure of progress is not simply how much we know, but how effectively that knowledge improves the care and quality of life of people living with kidney disease,” he said.
The conference concluded with a renewed emphasis on translating evidence into practical action and strengthening multidisciplinary approaches to improve kidney patient care.
