Dietary Protein Intake in Patients with Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease and on Dialysis

Many patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly those with stage 5 CKD, have protein wasting. The degree to which increased morbidity and mortality seen in these patients is due to protein depletion rather than to the often accompanying comorbidity is not clear. High protein diets lead to the accumulation of metabolites of protein that are potentially toxic. The MDRD Study, which investigated the effects of three levels of dietary protein and phosphorus intakes and two blood pressure goals on the progression of CKD, has several limitations. Several meta-analyses have examined the effects of low protein diets (LPD) on the progression of CKD. It is possible that the lower SUN levels or lesser degree of uremic symptoms may have contributed to the positive findings of LPD in the meta-analyses of Fouque and Pedrini et al., when compared with the study of Kasiske et al. A number of published reports indicate that LPD provide adequate protein for almost all clinically stable CKD patients and do not adversely affect body composition. In general, there are no large differences in the protein intake recommended by different expert groups for a given stage of CKD.