Serum lipids in patients with chronic renal failure on long-term, protein-restricted diets.

Disordered lipid metabolism is believed to play an important role in accelerating the progression of chronic renal disease toward uremia. We examine this hypothetic role of lipids in a large population of patients on long-term dietary protein restriction. In our experience, there is no conclusive evidence that lipids may accelerate the progression of functional deterioration in patients with reduced renal function. Hyperlipidemia seems to be only one among the many factors affecting the prognosis of primary renal disease. Dietary protein restriction is effective in maintaining normal or only slightly elevated serum lipid levels in patients with early renal failure. Moreover, patients with renal failure maintained on this diet, which provides an elevated ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids, have a more favorable lipid composition of erythrocyte membrane (low percentage of saturated fatty acids and high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids) when compared with patients on an unrestricted diet.