Benefits of Staple Food Restriction for Japanese Obese Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Pilot Study

Objective We conducted a pilot study to assess the effects of dietary intervention on metabolic risk factors and renal parameters in obese patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods We studied 19 obese patients with CKD at our outpatient clinic. The diet selected for this study restricted only their staple food intake, with no change in the side dish component of their meals. We studied neither the lifestyles of the patients nor the activities that they were involved in. We examined changes in clinical and laboratory parameters at baseline and after consumption of the diet. Results After 2 and 6 months of staple food restriction, changes in body weight were found to be −3.6% ± 3.9% and −3.4% ± 4.7%, respectively. Of the 19 patients, the body weights of 9 decreased by >3% (range: 3.4% to 17.1%) from baseline to follow-up at 6 months. After 6 months of following the diet, these 9 patients showed marked reductions in blood pressure, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance, and triglycerides, when compared with the remaining 10 patients with stable body weights; however, for proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate they reported having values similar to the 10 patients with stable body weights. Conclusions Weight reduction associated with a lowered insulin resistance was reported in obese patients with CKD after 6 months of staple food restriction; however, further studies need to be conducted to confirm the presence of other possible renal benefits.