International Digest

Low-protein diet and progression of renal disease

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1996; 155: 733-734

Source: Pedrini MT, Levey AS, Lau J, Chalmers TC, Wang PH. The effect of dietary protein restriction on the progression of diabetic and nondiabetic renal diseases: a meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med 1996; 124: 627-32.

Researchers in the United States pooled the results of controlled and crossover trials with a minimum follow-up period of 9 months to determine the effect of dietary protein restriction (0.4 to 0.85 g/kg body weight per day) on the progression of diabetic and nondiabetic renal disease. Meta-analysis of five randomized studies representing 1413 patients with nondiabetic renal disease showed that dietary protein restriction significantly reduced the risk of renal failure or death compared with no protein restriction. Meta-analysis of five randomized or crossover studies representing 108 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus indicated that a low-protein diet significantly slowed the increase of urinary albumin excretion or the decline in glomerular filtration rate or creatinine clearance. The beneficial effects of dietary protein restriction did not appear to result from changes in blood pressure or, in diabetic patients, glycemic control.

| CMAJ September 15, 1996 (vol 155, no 6) |