ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1624639
This article is part of the Research TopicKetogenic Metabolic Therapies in Prevention & Treatment of Non-communicable DiseasesView all 16 articles
Real-World Outcomes of Managing Autosomal-Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease Using a Medical Food as Part of a Nutrition and Lifestyle Program to Improve Renal and Metabolic Health
Provisionally accepted
- Santa Barbara Nutrients, Inc, Santa Barbara, United States
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Background: Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common hereditary form of chronic kidney disease with limited pharmacological treatment options. Emerging evidence suggests that metabolic interventions, including ketogenic dietary strategies and reducing lithogenic risk, may positively influence disease progression.Objectives: This study evaluated real-world outcomes from the Ren-Nu™ program, a remotely administered educational program for individuals with ADPKD that combines the use of a medical food with nutrition and lifestyle changes, including a very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet and reduction of renal lithogenic stressors.Methods: Data from 103 ADPKD participants who completed the Ren-Nu™ program between 2021 and 2023 were analyzed in this longitudinal, baseline-controlled evaluation. The three-month intervention included structured dietary education, regular dietitian and nutritionist support, and supplementation with KetoCitra ® , a medical food providing beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), citrate, minerals, and alkali base. Primary outcomes included estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), body mass index (BMI), anti-hypertensive medication usage, and self-reported symptom burden. Safety was assessed through routine metabolic biomarkers.Results: Participants demonstrated high adherence to nutritional ketosis, leading to a significant improvement in BMI. Renal function significantly improved, showing an eGFR increase of 6.3% (from 58.4 to 61.6 mL/min/1.73 m²; P<0.001). There was a notable decrease in anti-hypertensive medication use and significant reductions in self-reported kidney pain and headaches. Safety markers, including lipid profiles, electrolytes, and acid-base balance, remained stable throughout the intervention.Conclusions: Use of KetoCitra ® supported by nutrition and lifestyle changes in the Ren-Nu™ program demonstrates feasibility, safety, and clinically meaningful improvements in metabolic health, renal function, and quality of life in individuals with ADPKD. These findings support the potential of supplementation, nutrition, and lifestyle interventions targeting metabolic dysregulation and lithogenic risk factors as a strategy in ADPKD management.
Keywords: ADPKD, Ketogenic Diet, beta-hydroxybutyrate, Citrate, renal microcrystals, Real-world evidence
Received: 07 May 2025; Accepted: 29 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Muensterman, Torres and Weimbs. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Thomas Weimbs, Santa Barbara Nutrients, Inc, Santa Barbara, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.