High fat, low carb: A ketogenic diet could help patients with polycystic kidney disease

Medical Xpress / Univ. of Cologne / Kidney Week of the Am. Society of Nephrology / Cell Metabolism ^ | Nov. 8, 2022 | Professor Dr. Roman-Ulrich Müller et al

[ConservativeMind]

A new study has shown that ketosis—a state in which the body primarily uses dietary fats as energy sources—may have positive effects on kidney function in people affected by hereditary polycystic kidney disease.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, or ADPKD, is the most common hereditary kidney disease and causes about 10% of all cases of kidney failure. The aim of the clinical trial was to demonstrate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of ketogenic diet as a therapy for people with ADPKD.

For the study, patients were divided into three groups. One group followed a ketogenic diet for three months. The second group did three days of water fasting every month during the study period, which also leads to ketogenic metabolism. The third control group followed the common dietary recommendations that doctors usually give for ADPKD: reduce salt intake and drink more than 2–3 liters per day.

There were positive signals regarding important parameters such as kidney size and kidney function. While the kidneys became smaller during a ketogenic diet, they increased in size in the control group. However, this result barely fell short of the statistical threshold (p = 0.08) that is common in clinical trials. This was different for the development of kidney function.

"It is noteworthy that the trial participants on a ketogenic diet showed a statistically significant positive kidney function development compared to the control group. We had not yet expected this so soon, considering the rather short treatment period of three months," said Professor Dr. Roman-Ulrich Müller.

The researchers also want to obtain more data regarding safety. In particular, Müller sees a potential risk of kidney stones, as two of the participants in the ketogenic diet group had symptomatic kidney stones during the diet.

[ConservativeMind]

Positive news happened quickly with the keto diet.

[ConservativeMind]

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[gattaca]

Interesting. My son-in-law has this.

[No name given]

I can’t remember if I know anyone with this.

[Cronos]

Lots of veggies and low carbs is always good

[GOP Poet]

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