Low-protein diets in CKD: how can we achieve them? A narrative, pragmatic review

Low-protein diets (LPDs) have encountered various fortunes, and several questions remain open. No single study, including the famous Modification of Diet in Renal Disease, was conclusive and even if systematic reviews are in favour of protein restriction, at least in non-diabetic adults, implementation is lagging. LPDs are considered difficult, malnutrition is a threat and compliance is poor. LPDs have been reappraised in this era of reconsideration of dialysis indications and timing. The definition of a normal-adequate protein diet has shifted in the overall population from 1 to 1.2 to 0.8 g/kg/day. Vegan-vegetarian diets are increasingly widespread, thus setting the groundwork for easier integration of moderate protein restriction in Chronic Kidney Disease. There are four main moderately restricted LPDs (0.6 g/kg/day). Two of them require careful planning of quantity and quality of food: a â € traditionalâ €™ one, with mixed proteins that works on the quantity and quality of food and a vegan one, which integrates grains and legumes. Two further options may be seen as a way to simplify LPDs while being on the safe side for malnutrition: adding supplements of essential amino and keto acids (various doses) allows an easier shift from omnivorous to vegan diets, while protein-free food intake allows for an increase in calories. Very-low-protein diets (vLPDs: 0.3 g/kg/day) combine both approaches and usually require higher doses of supplements. Moderately restricted LPDs may be adapted to virtually any cuisine and should be tailored to the patients' preferences, while vLPDs usually require trained, compliant patients; a broader offer of diet options may lead to more widespread use of LPDs, without competition among the various schemas

Weight Loss in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease: Should We Consider Individualised, Qualitative, ad Libitum Diets? A Narrative Review and Case Study.

In advanced chronic kidney disease, obesity may bring a survival advantage, but many transplant centres demand weight loss before wait-listing for kidney graft. The case here described regards a 71-year-old man, with obesity-related glomerulopathy; referral data were: weight 110 kg, Body Mass Index (BMI) 37 kg/m2, serum creatinine (sCr) 5 mg/dL, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 23 mL/min, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 75 mg/dL, proteinuria 2.3 g/day. A moderately restricted, low-protein diet allowed reduction in BUN (45–55 mg/dL) and good metabolic and kidney function stability, with a weight increase of 6 kg. Therefore, he asked to be enrolled in a weight-loss program to be wait-listed (the two nearest transplant centres required a BMI below 30 or 35 kg/m2). Since previous low-calorie diets were not successful and he was against a surgical approach, we chose a qualitative, ad libitum coach-assisted diet, freely available in our unit. In the first phase, the diet is dissociated; he lost 16 kg in 2 months, without need for dialysis. In the second maintenance phase, in which foods are progressively combined, he lost 4 kg in 5 months, allowing wait-listing. Dialysis started one year later, and was followed by weight gain of about 5 kg. He resumed the maintenance diet, and his current body weight, 35 months after the start of the diet, is 94 kg, with a BMI of 31.7 kg/m2, without clinical or biochemical signs of malnutrition. This case suggests that our patients can benefit from the same options available to non-CKD (chronic kidney disease) individuals, provided that strict multidisciplinary surveillance is assured

Low-Protein Diets in Diabetic Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Patients: Are They Feasible and Worth the Effort?

Low-protein diets (LPDs) are often considered as contraindicated in diabetic patients, and are seldom studied. The aim of this observational study was to provide new data on this issue. It involved 149 diabetic and 300 non-diabetic patients who followed a LPD, with a personalized approach aimed at moderate protein restriction (0.6 g/day). Survival analysis was performed according to Kaplan–Meier, and multivariate analysis with Cox model. Diabetic versus non-diabetic patients were of similar age (median 70 years) and creatinine levels at the start of the diet (2.78 mg/dL vs. 2.80 mg/dL). There was higher prevalence of nephrotic proteinuria in diabetic patients (27.52% vs. 13.67%, p = 0.002) as well as comorbidity (median Charlson index 8 vs. 6 p = 0.002). Patient survival was lower in diabetic patients, but differences levelled off considering only cases with Charlson index > 7, the only relevant covariate in Cox analysis. Dialysis-free survival was superimposable in the setting of good compliance (Mitch formula: 0.47 g/kg/day in both groups): about 50% of the cases remained dialysis-free 2 years after the first finding of e-GFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) < 15 mL/min, and 1 year after reaching e-GFR < 10 mL/min. In patients with type 2 diabetes, higher proteinuria was associated with mortality and initiation of dialysis. In conclusion, moderately restricted LPDs allow similar results in diabetic and non non-diabetic patients with similar comorbidity

Cutaneous manifestations in celiac disease

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune gluten-dependent enteropathy characterized by atrophy of intestinal villi that improves after gluten-free diet (GFD). CD is often associated with extra-intestinal manifestations; among them, several skin diseases are described in CD patients. The present review reports all CD-associated skin manifestations described in the literature and tries to analyze the possible mechanisms involved in this association. The opportunity to evaluate the possible presence of CD in patients affected by skin disorders is discussed

H-tailored surface conductivity in narrow band gap In(AsN)

We show that the n-type conductivity of the narrow band gap In(AsN) alloy can be increased within a thin (similar to 100 nm) channel below the surface by the controlled incorporation of H-atoms. This channel has a large electron sheet density of similar to 10(18) m(-2) and a high electron mobility (mu > 0.1 m(2)V(-1)s(-1) at low and room temperature). For a fixed dose of impinging H-atoms, its width decreases with the increase in concentration of N-atoms that act as H-traps thus forming N-H donor complexes near the surface. (C) 2015 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

Compliance, illiteracy and low-protein diet: multiple challenges in CKD and a case of self-empowerment

Background: Low-protein diets (LPD) are an important means of delaying the need for dialysis and attaining a stable metabolic balance in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Many authors consider a low educational level and illiteracy to be adverse features for a good dietary compliance. Case presentation: We report the case of a 77-year old woman, illiterate, affected by advanced CKD (stage 4 according to KDIGO guidelines). She was initially ashamed of her problem and did not declare it, leading to an overzealous reduction in protein intake. However, with her daughter's help, who translated the dietary prescription into images, she overcame the barrier represented by illiteracy and was able to correctly follow the prescriptions, attaining good kidney function stability and preserving an adequate nutritional status. Conclusions: The case underlines the importance of a personalized approach to dietary prescriptions and suggests that it is possible to achieve a good compliance to the dietary treatment of CKD also in patients with relevant cultural barriers