Limited-protein diet: a means of delaying the progression of chronic renal disease?
Hirsch, D.J.
Canadian Medical Association Journal 132(8): 913-917
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4409 PMID: 3978514 Document Number: 246867
Recent studies suggest that restricting the dietary protein intake of patients with progressive renal disease slows their loss of renal function. Studies in animals have shown that an increase in the filtration rates of individual nephrons (hyperfiltration), an adaptive response to loss of renal mass, seems to induce progressive renal damage and that such damage may be prevented by dietary protein restriction. Preliminary evidence suggests that restriction of protein intake to less that 50 g daily in man has a similar beneficial effect in slowing the progression of chronic renal disease. Dietary treatment seems to be particularly effective for patients with early renal disease, allowing a doubling in the time until dialysis is required in many cases. Although large-scale clinical studies are planned, there is now sufficient evidence to warrant the use of moderate protein restriction (to less than 50 g daily) for most patients with progressive renal disease. Such treatment should only be instituted with expert dietary and nephrological consultation.