Effect of a chicken-based diet on renal function and lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized crossover trial

Abstract

OBJECTIVE - To assess the effect of replacing red meat with chicken in the usual diet and the effect of a low-protein diet on glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER), and lipid levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - A randomized, crossover, controlled trial was conducted with 28 patients with type 2 diabetes (seven women; mean age 58.1 years): 15 patients were normoalbuminuric (UAER <20 μg/min), and 13 patients were microalbuminuric (UAER 20-200 μg/min). A chicken-based diet (red meat replaced with chicken) and a low-protein diet were compared with the patients' usual diet. Patients followed each diet for 4 weeks with a 4-week washout period between. GFR (51Cr-EDTA single-injection technique), 24-h UAER (immunoturbidimetry), apolipoprotein B, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured after each diet. RESULTS - Normoalbuminuric and microalbuminuric patients with diabetes were analyzed separately. In normoalbuminuric patients, GFR after the chicken (101.3 ± 22.9 ml·min-1·1.73 m -2) and low-protein diets (93.8 ± 20.5 ml·min -1·m-2) was lower than after the usual diet (113.4 ± 31.4 ml·min-1·1.73 m-2; P < 0.05). In microalbuminuric patients, apolipoprotein B levels were lower after the chicken (113.5 ± 36.0 mg/dl) and low-protein diets (103.5 ± 40.1 mg/dl) than after the usual diet (134.3 ± 30.7 mg/dl; P < 0.05). Only the chicken diet reduced UAER (median 34.3 μg/min) compared with the low-protein (median 52.3 μg/min) and usual (median 63.8 μg/min) diets (P < 0.05). Glycemic control and blood pressure did not change after the diets. CONCLUSIONS - A normoproteic diet with chicken as the only source of meat may represent an alternative strategy for treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria.