A clinical study conducted by researchers from Japan's Yokohama City University showed that a drug that helps lower blood potassium levels may reduce dietary restrictions imposed on dialysis patients, improve control over these levels, and reduce the need for additional treatments.
In this context, the scientific website Medical Xpress reported on Thursday that the trial included patients undergoing dialysis three times a week, comparing the consumption of the drug sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC) alongside standardized dietary guidelines with relying on dietary guidelines alone, over a period of eight weeks.
For his part, the results, which included 183 patients in the main analysis, showed greater improvement in quality of life related to dietary restrictions and a better reduction in potassium levels among patients who took the drug, as no patient in this group required rescue treatment during the study period, compared to 25 out of 92 patients in the group that received dietary guidelines alone.
Exploratory analyses added that patients who took the drug increased their fruit consumption without an increase in the total amount of potassium consumed, along with improvements in some aspects of quality of life related to kidney disease, and no deaths or serious side effects related to the treatment were recorded during the study.
Researchers pointed out that the drug, when used alongside dietary guidelines and regular monitoring of potassium levels, may help alleviate the daily burdens of dietary restrictions and improve patients' quality of life, while it is necessary to consider the nutritional needs of each patient.
They emphasized the importance of adhering to medical guidelines and not modifying the diet or treatment without consulting a doctor, noting that the study lasted only eight weeks, which necessitates further research to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the treatment in the long term.
The importance of this treatment lies in the fact that dialysis patients suffer from severe kidney function impairment, making them unable to adequately purify the blood of waste products and excess fluids, leading them to rely on regular dialysis sessions to compensate for part of their functions. These patients need to follow a diet that limits certain minerals, such as potassium, to avoid their accumulation in the blood and the health complications it may cause, particularly heart rhythm disorders.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)