Effect of low-protein diet on renal function: are there definite conclusions from adult studies?
Low-protein diets have been used for roughly a century in order to alleviate uraemic symptoms and to delay progression of chronic renal failure (CRF). Currently a number of different low-protein diets are used, supplying either 0.6 g protein/kg body weight or 0.3-0.4 g supplemented with amino-acids or keto-acids. Single centre trials have attempted to demonstrate the efficacy of these diets in slowing down the progression of CRF. The results from these trials are, however, sometimes inconclusive, showing either a high efficiency of the low-protein diet or no efficiency at all. Conclusive data from multicentre trials, however, are not yet available. A crucial point in analysing the efficacy of low-protein diets is the degree of compliance with the protein restriction. Today, the data available indicate that sometimes only a poor degree of compliance is achieved both in single and in multicentre trials.
Gretz
N
N
Clinic of Nephrology, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Federal Republic of Germany.
Lasserre
J J
JJ
Hocker
A
A
Strauch
M
M
D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004435:Eating; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011379:Prognosis; D014508:Urea / Q000652:urine; D014511:Uremia / Q000178:diet therapy
D004044:Dietary Proteins; D014508:Urea