Dietary supplements linked to chronic kidney disease

TWO studies presented during the American Society of Nephrology's Annual Kidney Week provide new information on dietary benefits and dangers in kidney disease patients.A team led by Dr. Vanessa Grubbs of the University of California, San Francisco, United States looked at the use of dietary supplements among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The National Kidney Foundation identified 39 herbs that might be harmful to CKD patients, but no one knows how many of these patients take them.Using data from the 1999 to 2008 annual National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a programme of studies designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United State, the investigators examined the reported use of dietary supplements in the past 30 days among 21,169 adults. While an estimated 52.4 per cent of participants reported taking any dietary supplement, the supplement was potentially harmful among 15.3 per cent. Use of supplements was not statistically different by CKD severity.Because many CKD patients use potentially harmful supplements, they may be unaware of their risks. 'Although people tend to think of dietary supplements as healthy, many contain ingredients that can actually be harmful to the kidneys,' said Grubbs. Healthcare providers, too, may be unaware that some supplements are potentially harmful and that patients with CKD are taking them. Further research and education are warranted.
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