Background

Our laboratory published the first evidence that nutritional ketosis, induced by ketogenic diet (KD) or time-restricted diet (TRD), ameliorates disease progression in PKD animal models. We reasoned that, due to their frequent use for numerous health benefits, some ADPKD patients may already have had experience with ketogenic dietary interventions (KDIs). This retrospective case series study is designed to collect first real-life observations of ADPKD patients about safety, feasibility, and possible benefits of KDIs in ADPKD as part of a translational project pipeline.

Methods

Patients with ADPKD who had already used KDIs were recruited to retrospectively collect observational and medical data about beneficial or adverse effects, the feasibility and safety of KDIs in questionnaire-based interviews.

Results

131 ADPKD patients took part in this study. 74 executed a KD and 52 TRD, for 6 months on average. 86% of participants reported that KDIs had improved their overall health. 67% described improvements in ADPKD-associated health issues. 90% observed significant weight loss. 64% of participants with hypertension reported improvements in blood pressure. 66% noticed adverse effects that are frequently observed with KDIs. 22 participants reported safety concerns like hyperlipidemia. 45 participants reported slight improvements in eGFR. 92% experienced KDIs as feasible while 53% reported breaks during their diet.

Discussion

Our preliminary data indicate that KDIs may be safe, feasible, and potentially beneficial for ADPKD patients highlighting that prospective clinical trials are warranted to confirm these results in a controlled setting and elucidate the impact of KDIs specifically on kidney function and cyst progression.