In patients with chronic kidney disease, a low-sodium diet may be beneficial to prevent the decline in kidney function and improve heart health.
Highlights:
Low intake of
salt may improve kidney and heart health in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), claims a new study. CKD, also known as the chronic renal
disease, is a slow progressive loss of kidney function. The hallmark symptoms
of CKD are urinary excretion of proteins (proteinuria) and albumin
(albuminuria). Therapies that reduce albuminuria can have beneficial effects on
the heart, blood vessels and slow the decline in kidney function. However, currently available treatments do not eliminate albuminuria in
most of the patients, and are likely to have residual albuminuria.
- Chronic kidney disease is a progressive loss of the kidney function
- Dietary sodium restriction reduces albuminuria (albumin in urine) in patients with chronic kidney disease
- The combination of a drug called paricalcitol and a low sodium diet resulted in the lowest albuminuria levels in patients
Low-Sodium Reduces Residual Albuminuria
A team of researchers from The University Medical Center Groningen, in Netherlands, studied two interventions that have demonstrated the potential for reducing residual albuminuria. The two interventions are dietary sodium restriction and a drug called paricalcitol that activates the vitamin D receptor.
Role of Proteins in Diabetic Kidney Disease Unveiled by New Bioinformatic Analysis
Key proteins that are significantly altered at the gene-expression level in biopsied tissue from patients with diabetic kidney disease have been identified.
Key proteins that are significantly altered at the gene-expression level in biopsied tissue from patients with diabetic kidney disease have been identified.
‘A combination of a low-sodium diet and the drug paricalcitol can eliminate albuminuria in patients with chronic kidney disease.’
The research
team led by Martin de Borst, MD, PhD, conducted a randomized trial involving 45
patients with CKD. Each intervention was added to the conventional treatment
regimen for a period of eight weeks. At the end of the clinical trial, the researchers found that dietary sodium restriction significantly reduced residual albuminuria and blood pressure. However, the drug paricalcitol had no significant effect on these measures. The researchers noted that the combination of a low-sodium diet and paricalcitol resulted in the lowest albuminuria levels.
“What we found was that sodium restriction provided a relatively large beneficial effect, whereas the effect of paricalcitol was small. Thus, the impact of the combined intervention was largely due to the protective effect of sodium restriction,” said Dr. de Borst.
Urate-Lowering Therapy Improves Kidney Function in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
Chronic kidney disease patients who take urate-lowering therapy and achieve target urate levels show improvement in kidney function.
Chronic kidney disease patients who take urate-lowering therapy and achieve target urate levels show improvement in kidney function.
“In our study, patients consumed on average 4 grams of sodium per day, which is well in line with global trends in sodium consumption among CKD patients,” said Dr. de Borst.
Advertisement
First-Time Kidney Stone Formers are at Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease
People with a kidney stone episode were observed to have a subsequent abnormal kidney function, revealed Mayo Clinic nephrologists.
People with a kidney stone episode were observed to have a subsequent abnormal kidney function, revealed Mayo Clinic nephrologists.
The article, entitled, “The effect of vitamin D receptor activation and dietary sodium restriction on residual albuminuria in chronic kidney disease: the ViRTUE-CKD randomized controlled trial,” appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Advertisement
Prevalence of Diabetic Kidney Disease Unchanged in the US
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease and is responsible for half of end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis.
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease and is responsible for half of end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis.
- About 10 % of the world’s population have CKD, which claims millions of lives every year due to poor access to treatment.
- One in 3 Americans is at higher risk of developing kidney disease. About 26 million Americans suffer from some form of kidney disease.
- China and India are estimated to have the highest number of kidney failure patients.
- The two major causes of CKD are high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
- Men with kidney disease are more likely to progress to kidney failure
- A protein that defines the melanoma blueprint - (https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-11/cndi-apt111616.php)
- Kidneys - (https://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/factsheets/FastFacts)
- Global Facts: About Kidney Disease - (https://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/global-facts-about-kidney-disease)
