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Abstract: PO0459

The Effects of Intermittent Fasting on the Progression of CKD

Session Information

Category: CKD (Non-Dialysis)

  • 2101 CKD (Non-Dialysis): Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Prevention

Authors

  • Gunasekaran, Deepthi, Fairview Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
  • Dinary, Buthayna A., Fairview Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Background

Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to the practice of restricting food intake to a short period of the day alternating with a prolonged period of fasting. Preclinical studies and clinical trials have shown that IF has broad-spectrum benefits for many health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and neurologic disorders. There are currently few studies suggesting a decrease in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) with IF.

Methods

Retrospective chart review was done on patients from outpatient nephrology clinic with CKD stage I to IV who were self-reported to practice intermittent fasting. Patients with ESRD on dialysis, hospital admission during the study period, and reported poor compliance with fasting regimens were excluded. The primary outcome was the change in eGFR at the end of the period of intermittent fasting.

Results

Here we report current findings from 16 patients practicing IF regimen with continued ongoing enrolment. 75% of these patients were diabetic. Duration of the IF regimen ranged from 4 months to 12 months, 50% of patients had completed 12 months of IF regimen. 62.5% of patients were found to have an improvement in eGFR at the end of the period of IF. The change in eGFR was found to range from 0.4 ml/min/1.73 m2 to 38.8 ml/min/1.73 m2 (1.4-76.5%). The median increase in eGFR was 6.5 ml/min/1.73 m2 (18.1%) during an average period of 8.8 months of IF (p-value = 0.04). There was no significant correlation between change in eGFR and change in weight or hemoglobin A1C during this period.

Conclusion

A significant increase in eGFR was seen in a small population of patients with CKD practicing intermittent fasting for four months or more. Previous studies report an average annual decline in GFR of 1.5-2 ml/min/1.73 m2 in the general CKD population, with a more rapid decline in certain subsets. Intermittent fasting as a preventive measure for the progression of CKD needs to be studied further.

Change in eGFR after the period of IF