Polycystic kidney disease is a chronic kidney disease, that remains incurable as of 2011. Patients often experience renal failure and receive renal replacement therapy, typically dialysis or a transplant. Many nephrologists add fish oil to their patients' treatment regimens. This supplement lowers high triglyceride and cholesterol levels, both of which persist in most kidney patients. Fish oil may also have other kidney-specific benefits. Ask your nephrologist whether he thinks you would benefit from this supplement.
Polycystic Kidney Disease
Polycystic kidney disease, better known as PKD, comes in two forms. One form is caused by a recessive gene, and the other, by a dominant gene. Both are treated symptomatically, with drugs to control blood pressure, immunosuppressants or steroids to control urine protein, sodium bicarbonate to treat acid-base disorders, and diet to control elevated levels of potassium or phosphorus. If you have PKD, talk with your doctor to consider the safety of fish oil in light of the regimen of drugs your doctor prescribes. Fish oil can cause adverse interactions with warfarin, anisindione and dicumarol.
Fish Oil
Fish oil contains oil expressed from the bodies of whole fish found in the depths of the North Atlantic. It is not the same thing as cod liver oil, which contains oil expressed from the livers of codfish. It is rich in docosahexaenoic acidnd eicosapentaenoic acid, better know as DHA and EPA. If you are shopping for fish oil, make sure you know exactly how much DHA and EPA you are getting. Manufacturers often fail to say how much, or make it unclear by providing values for a two-capsule dose.
Research
Dr. James Donadio Jr. published his first paper on fish oil in a 1994 "New England Journal of Medicine." Donadio's paper documented his research showing that fish oil slowed down the progression of IgA nephropathy. Although researchers continue to debate the value of fish oil, many nephrologists suggest that patients add fish oil to their treatment regimen as a result of this groundbreaking research.
Research
As of 2011, no clinical studies prove the effect of fish oil in PKD patients. However, a study appearing in the January 2003 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition" examined the effect of fish oil on a rat model of this disease. While rats fed with fish oil showed fewer negative effects of a high fat diet, disease progression remained unchanged. The results of this study are inconclusive, however, in part because the short duration of the study. Additional research, particularly long-term clinical studies, are needed to evaluate the effect of fish oil on PKD patients.
References
- "Semininars in Nephrology"; The Role of Fish Oil/Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Treatment of IgA Nephropathy; J.V. Donadio and J.P. May; 2004
- "Journal of Nephrology"; Effect of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Cyclosporine Pharmacokinetics in Kidney Graft Recipients: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study; G. Busnach; March-April 1998
- "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology"; Dietary Fish Oil in Renal Transplant Recipients Treated with Cyclosporin-A: No Beneficial Effects Shown; M.F. Kooijmans-Coutinho; et al.; March 1996
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; A Controlled Trial of Fish Oil in IgA Nephropathy. Mayo Nephrology Collaborative Group; J.V. Donadio Jr, et al.; November 1994
- "American Journal of Kidney Disease"; Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Treatment of Kidney Disease; R. G. Fassett et al,; October 2010
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Detrimental Effects of a High Fat Diet in Early Renal Injury are Ameliorated by Fish Oil in Han:SPRD-cy Rats; J. Lu, et al.; January 2003
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