The Study
Markers of Renal Function are Unchanged in Obese Older Adults Consuming a Higher Protein, Hypocaloric Diet for 6 Months
This study is like comparing two groups of people trying different diets to see what happens. It shows that in these specific older adults, eating more protein while losing weight didn't change their kidney tests. But we can't say for sure it was the protein that caused this result because we don't know how the groups were chosen.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Older, overweight people ate less food with more protein for 6 months to see if it hurt their kidneys.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 538 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, losing weight is good for health, and kidneys were not harmed.
- 2Kidney tests stayed the same.
- 3Both groups lost weight: about 5.7% to 7.7%.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The FASEB Journal
Year
2017
Authors
K. Starr, S. McDonald, M. Orenduff, Aubrey K Jarman, R. Sloane, C. Pieper, C. Bales
Related Content
Claims (3)
Eating a lot of protein might put extra strain on your kidneys, which could be harmful over time.
Older adults who are obese can lose a good amount of weight by eating fewer calories with different protein amounts, and it doesn't hurt their kidneys.
For overweight older people with normal kidney function, eating a low-calorie diet with more protein for six months doesn't harm their kidneys, compared to eating less protein.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.