ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 2, 1996 TAG: 9604020069
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: PHILADELPHIA
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kidney disease patients can slow progression of their illness, and perhaps extend the time before they are forced to go on dialysis, by reducing protein in their diet, researchers report.
``We're not curing [the disease], but slowing the process down. That's about the best we can do right now,'' said Dr. Ping H. Wang, an author of the analysis.
A detailed analysis of five earlier studies involving diabetics and five studies of nondiabetics suffering from chronic kidney disease shows a 30 percent reduction in complications with a low-protein diet, he said.
The findings are ``statistically highly significant,'' said Wang, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California at Irvine.
For nondiabetics, the analysis recommends a protein intake of 0.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, or about 1.5 ounces a day for a 160-pound person, significantly less than the average amount of protein intake, Wang said.
``Basically, you're talking about three slices of turkey breast a day, depending on the size of the slice,'' Wang said.
More than 20 million Americans suffer diseases of the kidney and urinary tract, and more than 90,000 die each year. About 200,000 suffer from chronic kidney failure and need an artificial kidney machine to live.
The findings, published in Monday's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, are important to patients and doctors, said Dr. Garabed Eknoyan, vice president of the National Kidney Foundation and a medical professor at Baylor University in Texas.
``This type of analysis sort of confirms that protein restriction is effective and why doctors should not be letting kidney patients run around eating anything they want,'' he said.
Telling someone to stick to their diet doesn't always work, but being able to cite specific data may help, Eknoyan said.
``It not only helps the individual, but in the long term it keeps patients off dialysis ... saving money,'' Eknoyan said.
The authors surveyed studies involving 1,413 nondiabetics and 108 insulin-dependent diabetics.
Results for nondiabetic kidney patients - a significantly reduced risk for kidney failure or death - justify recommending they restrict dietary protein, the authors said.
Findings for diabetics were not strong enough to routinely justify similar restrictions, mostly because of the small sample of patients and variations in the studies analyzed, the authors said.
The authors warned patients and physicians to take precautions against malnutrition, and to consult with dietitians. Wang said the amount of protein suggested is fairly safe for people with kidney disease.
Dr. Frank Vinicor, president of the American Diabetes Association and an official at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, called the report important for people with existing kidney disease, but said there's no clinical evidence that cutting protein will help prevent kidney failure.
LENGTH: Medium: 62 linesby CNB