Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38544335›Full record

Observational studyNephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association2024

The safety of a low-protein diet in older adults with advanced chronic kidney disease.

Karin Windahl, Nicholas C Chesnaye, Gerd Faxén Irving, Peter Stenvinkel, Tora Almquist, Maarit Korkeila Lidén, Christiane Drechsler, Maciej Szymczak, Magdalena Krajewska, Esther de Rooij and 8 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readObservational StudyMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
3.6field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Dietary Protein Intake in CKD: Quantity and Quality.Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 10 institutions in 6 countries.

Karin WindahlDivision of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Nicholas C ChesnayeERA Registry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Medical Informatics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Gerd Faxén IrvingDivision of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Peter StenvinkelDivision of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Tora AlmquistDivision of Nephrology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyds Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Maarit Korkeila LidénDivision of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Christiane DrechslerDepartment of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Maciej SzymczakDepartment of Nephrology and Transplantation Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
Magdalena KrajewskaDepartment of Nephrology and Transplantation Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
Esther de RooijDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Claudia Torino4CNR-IFC, Clinical Epidemiology and Physiopathology of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Gaetana PortoG.O.M., Bianchi Melacrino Morelli, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Fergus J CaskeyDepartment of Renal Medicine, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK.
Christoph WannerDepartment of Clinical Research and Epidemiology, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Kitty J JagerERA Registry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Medical Informatics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0444-8569
Friedo W DekkerDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Marie EvansDivision of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-8650-5795
EQUAL study investigators
Karolinska Institutet · SEDanderyds sjukhus · SELeiden University · NLWroclaw Medical University · PLNorth Bristol NHS Trust · GBUniversitätsklinikum Würzburg · DEAmsterdam University Medical Centers · NLAzienda ospedaliera "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli" · ITLeiden University Medical Center · NLIstituto di Fisiologia Clinica · IT

Funding

Center for Innovative MedicineDutch Kidney Foundation SB 142Italian Society of NephrologyNational Institute for Health ResearchNjurfondenStockholm County Council ALFSwedish Medical Association
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA low-protein diet (LPD) is recommended to patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), whereas geriatric guidelines recommend a higher amount of protein. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of LPD treatment in older adults with advanced CKD.

methodsThe EQUAL study is a prospective, observational study including patients ≥65 years of age with an incident estimated glomerular filtration rate <20 ml/min/1.73 m2 in six European countries with follow-up through 6 years. Nutritional status was assessed by a 7-point subjective global assessment (SGA) every 3-6 months. Prescribed diet (g protein/kg of bodyweight) was recorded on every study visit; measured protein intake was available in three countries. Time to death and decline in nutritional status (SGA decrease of ≥2 points) were analysed using marginal structural models with dynamic inverse probability of treatment and censoring weights.

resultsOf 1738 adults (631 prescribed LPD at any point during follow-up), there were 1319 with repeated SGA measurements, of which 267 (20%) decreased in SGA ≥2 points and 565 (32.5%) who died. There was no difference in survival or decrease in nutritional status for patients prescribed a LPD ≤0.8 g/kg ideal bodyweight {odds ratio [OR] for mortality 1.15 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86-1.55)] and OR for decrease in SGA 1.11 [95% CI 0.74-1.66]} in the adjusted models. In patients prescribed a LPD <0.6 g/kg ideal bodyweight, the results were similar. There was a significant interaction with LPD and older age >75 years, lower SGA and higher comorbidity burden for both mortality and nutritional status decline.

conclusionsIn older adults with CKD approaching end-stage kidney disease, a traditional LPD prescribed and monitored according to routine clinical practice in Europe appears to be safe.

Indexed as

Diet, Protein-RestrictedGlomerular Filtration RateNutritional StatusRenal Insufficiency, ChronicAgedAged, 80 and overEuropeFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMalePrognosisProspective StudiesSurvival RateageCKDmalnutritionnutritionsurvival analysis

Identifiers

PMID38544335
PMCPMC11648958
OpenAlexW4393276648

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.