Effects of soy protein and nutrition education on patients with chronic kidney disease

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soy protein and nutrition education on patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients who were regularly followed up at the nephrology clinics of National Taiwan University Hospital, aged between 18 to 75 years, daily activities-independent, had normal liver function, and had stage III, IV or V CKD were invited to join this study. The enrolled patients were then divided into two groups by simple randomization. Group 1 patients were asked to eat meat while Group 2 patients eat soy bean as their major sources of protein intake for a period of 6 months. Diet education for CKD was given at the start, the 3rd month, and the end of study. Demographic, clinical as well as laboratory data including serum biochemistry, lipid profile, interleukin-6, serum adiponectin, indirect calorimetry, and body composition were compared between the two groups both at the beginning and at the end of study. There were 26 CKD patients who had finished the study, but only 23 of them had complete laboratory data. There was no statistical difference in the baseline demographic, clinical and laboratory data between Group 1 and Group 2 patients except for serum albumin level (4.7±0.2 versus 4.4±0.2 g/dL, P=0.0013) (Table 1). There was neither any statistical difference in the baseline indirect calorimetry and body composition data between the two groups except for body fat percentage (23.1±6.2 versus 28.9±6.5%, P=0.0380). After 6 months of intervention, Group 2 patients were noted to have significantly higher adiponectin level than Group 1 patients (−3776.0±9118.3 versus 9073.5±9748.1 pg/mL, P=0.0049) (Table 2). There was no statistical difference in indirect calorimetry change or body composition change between the 2 groups though Group 2 patients were on average lighter at the end of study (P=0.0532).