Severe anion gap metabolic acidosis associated with initiation of a very low-carbohydrate diet

Abstract

Low carbohydrate diets have been popularized as an effective solution for weight loss. Although rare, life-threatening anion gap metabolic acidosis has been reported in patients on these diets. We present a case of a 31-year-old man with atypical symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath found to have severe metabolic acidosis after starting low carbohydrate diet for a week.

Keywords

• Low carbohydrate diet
• metabolic acidosis
• anion gap
• dialysis