Plant-based diets linked to lower mortality in CKD

(HealthDay)—A diet high in plant protein intake is associated with lower all-cause mortality in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to research published online Dec. 10 in the American Journal of Kidney Disease.

Xiaorui Chen, of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and colleagues conducted an observational study using dietary recall and mortality data for 14,866 participants (aged 20 years or older) in the NHANES III to examine the association between plant protein intake and all-cause mortality. Patients were stratified according to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 or ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m².

The researchers found that plant protein intake and plant protein to total protein ratio averaged 24.6 ± 13.2 g/d and 33.0 ± 14.0 percent, respectively. The prevalence of eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m² in this population was 4.9 percent. Following multivariable adjustment, each 33 percent increase in the plant protein to total protein ratio was not associated with mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.74 to 1.04) in those with eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m², but it was associated with lower mortality risk (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.61 to 0.96) in those with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m².

"In conclusion, this study suggests that a higher proportion of protein from plant sources is associated with lower mortality in patients with CKD," the authors write.

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