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. 2022 Jan;35(1):305-309.
doi: 10.1007/s40620-021-01102-1. Epub 2021 Jun 29.

Calcium carbonate-enriched cheese to improve nutrition, compliance and phosphorus control in patients on kidney replacement therapy

Gianluigi Ardissino  1 , Roberto Matta  2 , Mariagrazia Patricelli  2 , Valentina Capone  2 , Antonio Leoni  2 , Antonio Groppelli  3 , Simone Vettoretti  4 , Laura Pavone  4 , Elisabetta Margiotta  4 , Annamaria Brancadoro  4 , Emanuele Grimaldi  4 , Isabella Cropanese  5 , Francesca Raffiotta  4 , Piergiorgio Messa  4 , Giovanni Montini  2
Affiliations

Calcium carbonate-enriched cheese to improve nutrition, compliance and phosphorus control in patients on kidney replacement therapy

Gianluigi Ardissino et al. J Nephrol. 2022 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Patients on renal replacement therapy face many dietary limitations, and cheese is often limited because of its high phosphate content; we have developed cheese with added calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to provide patients with a nutritional opportunity while improving their phosphate control.

Methods: The present double-blind crossover study was aimed to compare the new modified cheese with an equivalent standard product in 16 patients. The increase in inter-dialysis phosphorus (ΔP) and pre-dialysis calcium were used as the primary endpoints for efficacy and safety.

Results: The median ΔP (and IQR) was significantly lower with the modified cheese compared with the standard product: 2.5 (1.9-2.9) mg/dL vs. 2.7 (2.2-3.4) mg/dL, respectively (p < 0.02). No difference was observed in pre-dialysis serum calcium levels.

Conclusions: The described modified cheese may represent an interesting means of overcoming some of the dietary limitations in patients on dialysis to help them achieve better nutrition and quality of life.

Keywords: Dialysis; Phosphorus; Renal replacement therapy; Secondary hyperparathiroidism.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they do not have any competing interests. FriP cheese is a trademark hold by Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Inter-dialysis increase in phosphorus levels in 16 patients on kidney replacement therapy during the run-in period (usual diet) and when exposed to standard cheese and FriP cheese
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Individual changes in inter-dialysis phosphorus increases in patients when exposed to standard cheese and to FriP cheese (the red lines indicate patients that experienced an increase in interdialysis phosphorus levels with FriP cheese)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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