Effects of Dietary App-Supported Tele-Counseling on Sodium Intake, Diet Quality, and Blood Pressure in Patients With Diabetes and Kidney Disease.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of a telehealth intervention that used a dietary app, educational website, and weekly dietitian tele-counseling on sodium intake, diet quality, blood pressure, and albuminuria among individuals with diabetes and early-stage chronic kidney disease.

DESIGN AND METHODS

We examined the effects of a dietary app-supported tele-counseling intervention in a single center, single arm study of 44 participants with type 2 diabetes and stage 1-3a chronic kidney disease. Participants recorded and shared dietary data via MyFitnessPal with registered dietitians, who used motivational interviewing to provide telephone counseling weekly for 8 weeks. After the 8-week intensive intervention, participants were followed at 6 and 12 months. Outcomes included 24-hour urine sodium (2 collections per timepoint), Healthy Eating Index 2015 score (three 24-hour dietary recalls per timepoint), 24-hour systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and 24-hour urine albumin excretion.

RESULTS

Out of 44 consented participants (mean age 60.3 ± 11.9 years, 43% female, 89% white, median estimated glomerular filtration rate was 78.5 mL/min/1.73 m, median urine albumin excretion 52.9 mg/day, 84% hypertension), 32 (73%) completed 8-week follow-up, 27 (61%) completed 6-month follow-up, and 25 (57%) completed 12-month follow-up. Among participants who completed 12-month follow-up, reported sodium intake decreased by 638 mg/day from baseline of 2,919 mg/day (P < .001). The 24-hour mean urine sodium and albumin excretion did not decline over the study period. Healthy Eating Index 2015 score improved by 7.76 points at 12 months from a mean baseline of 54.6 (P < .001). Both 24-hour SBP and DBP declined at 12 months from baseline (SBP -5.7 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval -10.5 to -1.0, P = .02; DBP -4.1 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval -7.2 to -1.1, P = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this study demonstrates that a short, intensive, remotely delivered dietary intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes and early chronic kidney disease at high risk for disease progression and cardiovascular complications led to improvement in blood pressure and self-reported sodium intake and diet quality, but no improvement in albuminuria. Future research studies are needed to examine whether remotely delivered dietary interventions can ultimately improve kidney health over time.