Effect of Dietary Protein Restriction and Nutritional Assessment on Early-Stage Diabetic Nephropathy.

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of a protein-limited diet on renal function, urinary albumin excretion and nutritional status of 16 patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (11 males and 5 females, mean age 60.5 years) had a urinary albumin excretion rate of between 15 and 200μg/min and were c1assified into two groups : group Ⅰ patients were placed on a protein-limited diet (0.77g/kg/day), and group Ⅱ followed a conventional diabetic diet (1.33g/kg/day). After six months, the value of creatinine c1earance was significantly reduced in group Ⅰ, but urinary albumin excretion did not change in either group. Anthropometric measurements revealed no significant change in body weight, body mass index, arm circumference or triceps skinfold thickness in either group during the study period, but the arm musc1ec ircumference significantly increased in group Ⅰ. No significant differences were observed in either group with regard to serum level of protein, in c1uding total protein, albumin, prealbumin or transferrin, In conc1usion, a protein-limited diet was useful for prevention of diabetic nephropathy in patients with early-stage diabetic nephropathy.