The Study
A Comparison of Sodium Citrate and Sodium Bicarbonate's Safety and Effectiveness in Treating Metabolic Acidosis in Patients with Chronic Renal Disease
This study is like a fair race between two medicines to see which one helps kidneys better. They gave one group one medicine and another group the other, and watched what happened. It shows one medicine made people feel less sick to their stomach, but it doesn't prove it's the best for everyone.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Two pills can help kidney patients with too much acid in their blood: one is sodium citrate, the other is sodium bicarbonate.
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 563 / 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.
- 1Citrate works better at fixing acid and is easier on the stomach, and may help bones more—but it costs more.
- 2Sodium citrate raised blood bicarbonate by 22%, sodium bicarbonate by 16%.
- 3Citrate caused only 10% stomach problems, bicarbonate caused 25%.
- 4Citrate also raised calcium by 15%, bicarbonate by 10%.
- 5Both raised blood pH similarly.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
EAS Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
Year
2024
Authors
Dr. Afroza Begum, D. M. M. Rahman
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking sodium bicarbonate by mouth raises bicarbonate levels outside muscle cells, allowing hydrogen ions to leave the cells and lowering acid levels inside the cells.
For adults with chronic kidney disease and metabolic acidosis, sodium bicarbonate costs less than sodium citrate when used as a treatment.
In adults with advanced chronic kidney disease and metabolic acidosis, sodium citrate raises blood bicarbonate levels more than sodium bicarbonate over 12 months, resulting in a larger reduction of acid in the body and a slower decline in kidney function.
Among adults with chronic kidney disease and metabolic acidosis, sodium citrate results in 10% gastrointestinal side effects over 12 months, while sodium bicarbonate results in 25% gastrointestinal side effects over the same period.
In adults with chronic kidney disease and metabolic acidosis, taking sodium citrate for 12 months raises blood calcium levels by 15%, while sodium bicarbonate raises them by 10%.
In adults with chronic kidney disease and metabolic acidosis, sodium citrate and sodium bicarbonate result in the same change in blood pH after 12 months of use.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.