Sodium Bicarbonate Appears To Slow Progression Of Chronic Kidney Disease

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Sodium Bicarbonate Appears To Slow Progression Of Chronic Kidney Disease

_http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157902.php_

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Main Category: Urology / Nephrology

Article 17 Jul 2009 - 4:00 PST

 

 

A daily dose of sodium bicarbonate - baking soda, already used for baking,

cleaning, acid _indigestion_

(http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163484.php) , sunburn, and more -

slows the decline of kidney function in some

patients with advanced _chronic kidney disease_

(http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/172179.php) (CKD), reports an

upcoming study in the

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). " This cheap and simple

strategy also improves patients' nutritional status, and has the potential of

translating into significant economic, quality of life, and clinical outcome

benefits, " comments Magdi Yaqoob, MD (Royal London Hospital).

 

 

The study included 134 patients with advanced CKD and low bicarbonate

levels, also called metabolic acidosis. One group received a small daily dose

of sodium bicarbonate in tablet form, in addition to their usual care. For

this group, the rate of decline in kidney function was greatly reduced -

about two-thirds slower than in patients. " In fact, in patients taking sodium

bicarbonate, the rate of decline in kidney function was similar to the

normal age-related decline, " says Yaqoob.

 

 

Rapid progression of kidney disease occurred in just nine percent of

patients taking sodium bicarbonate, compared to 45 percent of the other group.

Patients taking sodium bicarbonate were also less likely to develop

end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis.

 

 

Patients taking sodium bicarbonate also had improvement in several

measures of _nutrition_ (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160774.php) .

Although their sodium levels went up, this didn't lead to any problems with

increased blood pressure.

 

 

Low bicarbonate levels are common in patients with CKD and can lead to a

wide range of other problems. " This is the first randomized controlled study

of its kind, " says Yaqoob. " A simple remedy like sodium bicarbonate

(baking soda), when used appropriately, can be very effective. "

 

 

The researchers note some important limitations of their study - there was

no placebo group and the researchers were aware of which patients were

receiving sodium bicarbonate. " Our results will need validation in a

multicenter study, " says Yaqoob.

 

 

Other authors were Ione de Brito-Ashurst, RD, Mira Varaganum, PhD, and

Martin J. Raftery, MD (William Harvey Research Institute and Barts and the

London NHS Trust, London). The authors reported no financial disclosures.

 

 

The study entitled, Bicarbonate Supplementation Slows Progression of CKD

and Improves Nutritional Status appears online at

_http://jasn.asnjournals.org/_ (http://jasn.asnjournals.org/) , doi

10.1681/ASN.2008111205.

 

 

Source:

Shari Leventhal

American Society of Nephrology