Safety and efficacy of very low calorie diet in patients receiving haemodialysis therapy.

BACKGROUND

Very low calorie diets (VLCDs) are an obesity treatment option in the general population, but their efficacy and safety in patients on haemodialysis (HD) is unknown.

METHODS

Prospective single arm study of VLCD in haemodialysis patients. All participants received 2.5-3.3 MJ/day for 12 weeks. Weekly assessment of VLCD, pre- and post-dialysis weight, inter-dialytic weight gain, and blood electrolytes occurred for the first 4 weeks, then fortnightly for another 8 weeks. Linear mixed models compared the change in weight over time as well as biochemical outcomes including potassium.

RESULTS

Twenty-two participants [nine home HD (HHD) and 13 satellite HD (SHD)] enrolled with 19 completing the 12-week intervention. Mean post-dialysis weight declined from 121.1 kg at baseline to 109.9 at week 12 resulting in average decline of 0.88 kg per week (95% C.I. 0.71, 1.05,  < .001) with 12-week mean percentage weight loss9.3% (SD 3.5). Mean post-dialysis body mass index declined from 40.9 kg/m at baseline to 37.1 kg/m at week 12 (95% C.I. 0.25, 0.35,  < .001). Serum potassium rose from week 1 to 3, stabilized during weeks 4 to 6, and fell from week 8, returning near baseline by week 12. Six of the nine (66.6%) HHD participants and seven of the 13 (70%) SHD participants had at least one episode of hyperkalaemia ( > 6 mmol/l). There were no clinical changes in serum sodium, corrected calcium, or phosphate levels during the study.

CONCLUSION

VLCD with dietitian supervision was effective in producing significant weight reduction, with an acceptable safety profile in patients treated with haemodialysis.