Time-restricted feeding's effect on overweight and obese patients with chronic kidney disease stages 3-4: A prospective non-randomized control pilot study.

Bei-Ni Lao, Jiang-Hong Luo, Xue-Yi Xu, Li-Zhe Fu, Fang Tang, Wen-Wei Ouyang, Xin-Zhu Xu, Meng-Ting Wei, Bing-Jie Xiao, Lin-Yi Chen, Yi-Fan Wu, Xu-Sheng Liu

Journal: Frontiers in endocrinology 2023;14():1096093

PMID: 37082115

Plain Language Summary

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Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease caused by multiple factors. It is an independent risk factor for the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of TRF in overweight and obese patients with moderate-to-severe stage CKD. This study was a prospective, non-randomised, controlled exploratory intervention study. Twenty-eight participants were included in the study, and were assigned to either the time-restricted feeding (TRF) group or the control diet (CD) group according to their preferences. Results showed that: - TRF helped improve renal function in overweight and obese moderate-to-severe CKD patients. - the TRF group experienced some hunger, but within tolerable range, and stated that TRF adherence was good. - the TRF group experienced a decrease in serum phosphate and uric acid, maintenance of total protein and albumin. - TRF shifted the gut microbiota in a positive direction. Authors concluded that TRF may be a safe and effective dietary intervention for overweight and obese CKD patients.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) has become a popular weight loss method in recent years. It is widely used in the nutritional treatment of normal obese people and obese people with chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and has shown many benefits. However, most TRF studies have excluded chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, resulting in a lack of sufficient evidence-based practice for the efficacy and safety of TRF therapy for CKD. Therefore, we explore the efficacy and safety of TRF in overweight and obese patients with moderate-to-severe stage CKD through this pilot study, and observe patient compliance to assess the feasibility of the therapy.

METHODS

This is a prospective, non-randomized controlled short-term clinical trial. We recruited overweight and obese patients with CKD stages 3-4 from an outpatient clinic and assigned them to either a TRF group or a control diet (CD) group according to their preferences. Changes in renal function, other biochemical data, anthropometric parameters, gut microbiota, and adverse events were measured before the intervention and after 12 weeks.

RESULTS

The change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) before and after intervention in the TRF group (Δ = 3.1 ± 5.3 ml/min/1.73m) showed significant improvement compared with the CD group (Δ = -0.8 ± 4.4 ml/min/1.73m). Furthermore, the TRF group had a significant decrease in uric acid (Δ = -70.8 ± 124.2 μmol/L), but an increase in total protein (Δ = 1.7 ± 2.5 g/L), while the changes were inconsistent for inflammatory factors. In addition, the TRF group showed a significant decrease in body weight (Δ = -2.8 ± 2.9 kg) compared to the CD group, and body composition indicated the same decrease in body fat mass, fat free mass and body water. Additionally, TRF shifted the gut microbiota in a positive direction.

CONCLUSION

Preliminary studies suggest that overweight and obese patients with moderate-to-severe CKD with weight loss needs, and who were under strict medical supervision by healthcare professionals, performed TRF with good compliance. They did so without apparent adverse events, and showed efficacy in protecting renal function. These results may be due to changes in body composition and alterations in gut microbiota.

Copyright © 2023 Lao, Luo, Xu, Fu, Tang, Ouyang, Xu, Wei, Xiao, Chen, Wu and Liu.

Address: The Second Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.; Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.; Chronic Disease Management Outpatient, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.; Key Unit of Methodology in Clinical Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.; Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.; Nutritional Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.; Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.

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