title: Splenda® improves tolerance of oral potassium citrate supplementation for prevention of stone formation: results of a randomized double-blind trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral citrate supplements have been shown to decrease kidney stone recurrence rates in both laboratory and clinical studies. The taste of the citrate supplements, however, is poor, and long-term compliance is low. Our objective was to determine if Splenda(®) added to potassium citrate (KCit) improves palatability without changing 24-hour urine parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  12 subjects were randomly assigned to receive either KCit alone for 3 days or KCit + Splenda in a double-blind trial. The 24-hour urine collections were performed before and after 3 days of therapy. After 1 week, the two groups switched treatments. After each treatment, a visual analog taste scale was completed to gauge the taste and palatability. The 24-hour urine parameters of kidney stone risk factors were compared between groups. The primary end points were to determine whether Splenda improved palatability of citrate supplementation and whether it altered 24-hour urine parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Taste was judged to be 2.5 ± 0.9 points better in the Splenda + KCit compared with KCit alone (P=0.02). The 24-hour Cit, K, and pH were significantly higher in the KCit and KCit + Splenda groups compared with baseline, but not significantly different from each other.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Splenda significantly improves the palatability of KCit therapy and does not alter the beneficial effects of KCit on 24-hour urine Cit, K, or pH. The addition of Splenda altered the average taste score from one that might prohibit compliance to one that would not.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York 12208-3499, USA. clay.mechlin@gmail.com
authors.forename: Clay
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mechlin
authors.forename: Carmin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalorin
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Asplin
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003710:Demography; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D019357:Potassium Citrate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013649:Taste; D016482:Urinalysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013395:Sucrose; C026285:trichlorosucrose; D019357:Potassium Citrate