In chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, ketoacid analogues of essential amino acids (KA/EAA) are administered to reduce the production of harmful metabolic products and enhance nutritional status. Protein restriction combined with AA supplement may have beneficial effects on CKD in several ways, by reducing nitrogen waste, oxidative stress, and inflammation, and by protecting against hemodynamic changes in glomerular hyperfiltration.
several clinical trials have documented that very low protein diets (VLPD) supplemented with KA/EAA preserve the rate of progression of advanced CKD. However, in long-term follow-up of the MDRD study, VLPD plus KA/EAA treatment did not delay progression to dialysis or transplantation.
As a result, no firm conclusions have been drawn on the effectiveness of protein-restricted diets combined with KA/EAA supplements in retarding CKD progression.
