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NCT Number: NCT02458248

Sodium Intake in Chronic Kidney Disease (STICK)

Chronic kidney disease, which affects an estimated 300,000 people in Ireland and over 50 million people in the developed world, is responsible for a considerable burden of premature mortality and morbidity. All patients with chronic kidney disease are recommended low salt diets, i.e. less than a teaspoon of salt per day (which is <5-6g of salt, which contains <2-2.3g of sodium). The average intake in the general population is double the recommended intake, between 1-2 teaspoons per day, which is considered 'moderate' intake. In patients with hypertension, reducing from moderate (average) to low intake is associated with a small reduction in blood pressure. However, achieving this low target salt intake is difficult, and can have a negative knock-on effect on other healthy dietary factors and kidney hormones. In addition, there is no convincing research to show that patients with chronic kidney disease and normal blood pressure benefit from low salt intake. In fact, the small amount of research that does exist shows that the change in kidney function is the same in people who consume low salt diets (<1 teaspoon) and moderate (1-2 teaspoons=average intake) salt diets. Moreover, there are some small studies that report that low-salt diets may increase the risk of death due to heart disease. Given that all patients with chronic kidney impairment are recommended a low-salt diet, it is important that we confirm that this recommendation truly benefits patients. In this randomized controlled trial, we hope to determine whether recommending a low salt intake, compared to average/moderate intake, is associated with a slower rate of decline in kidney function in patients with chronic kidney impairment. The results of this study will provide information to guide future research that will have critical implications for management of patients with chronic kidney disease.

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Key information

Conditions

Kidney Diseases Chronic Disease Disease Attributes Female Urogenital Diseases Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications Male Urogenital Diseases Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Renal Insufficiency Renal Insufficiency, Chronic Urogenital Diseases Urologic Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

HRB Clinical Research Facility Galway

Galway, Ireland

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 40 years or older
  • MDRD eGFR of 30-60ml/min/1.73m2 on ≥2 occasions ≥3 months apart
  • Most recent eGFR measurement within 3 months Systolic blood pressure <160mmHg and diastolic blood pressure <95mmHg on three office blood pressure readings at time of screening and confirmed by a study ABPM before randomisation of <150/90mmHg
  • No change in anti-hypertensive or diuretic medications (including dose) for 3 months before screening visit
  • Consumption of moderate sodium intake at screening, defined as an estimated daily sodium intake of >2.3g/day estimated from food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) completed during the screening visit
  • Self-reported willingness to modify dietary intake over sustained period, and adhere to directed recommendations over 2 years
  • Signed written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • Acute Kidney Injury in the preceding three months, defined as doubling of baseline serum creatinine or rapidly declining eGFR over the preceding six months, defined as a decline in eGFR of ≥10ml/min/1.73m2 in those with established CKD
  • Any of the following renal conditions: glomerular disease due to post-infectious glomerulonephritis, IgA nephropathy, thin basement membrane disease, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, proliferative glomerulonephritis, membranous nephropathy (including lupus nephritis), rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, minimal change disease, or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
  • Prior or planned renal transplantation
  • Prior, current or planned renal dialysis
  • Medical diagnosis known to be associated with abnormal renal sodium excretion, including Bartter syndrome, SIADH, diabetes insipidus, or serum sodium <125mmol
  • Severe heart failure (defined as left ventricular ejection fraction ≤30% or NYHA Class III/IV symptoms)
  • High-dose loop or thiazide diuretic therapy, exceeding a total daily dose of frusemide 80mg, bumetanide 2mg, hydrochlorothiazide 50mg, bendroflumethiazide 2.5mg, indapamide 2.5mg, metolazone 2.5mg or the use of both a loop and thiazide diuretic
  • Current use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for 3 or more days per week. Low-dose aspirin <100mg/day is not an exclusion
  • Unable to follow educational advice of the research team
  • Prescribed high-salt diet, low-salt diet or sodium bicarbonate
  • Symptomatic postural hypotension or receiving treatment for postural hypotension
  • Current or recent use (within one month) of immunosuppressive medications including tacrolimus, cyclosporine, azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil
  • Pregnancy or lactation
  • Unable to comply with 24-hour urinary collections, or medical condition making collection of 24-hour urinary collection difficult (e.g. severe urinary incontinence)
  • Participant unlikely to comply with study procedures or follow-up visits due to severe co-morbid illness or other factor (e.g. inability to travel for follow-up visits, drug or alcohol misuse) in opinion of research team
  • Cognitive impairment defined as a known diagnosis of dementia, or inability to provide informed consent due to cognitive impairment in the opinion of the investigator
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) <20kg/m2 or BMI>40kg/m2
  • Participating in another clinical trial or previous allocation in this study

Treatment and study plan

Sodium reduction

Behavioral

In addition to usual care, those randomised to the intervention arm will receive specific counseling on behavioural and environmental factors that promote sodium reduction after randomization and at all specified post-randomisation visits, targeting sodium intake of <100mmol/day (<2.3g/day). A research dietitian will develop the specific components of the intervention, based on standardised approaches to education interventions.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in 24-hour urinary creatinine clearance from baseline to final follow-up, measured from 24-hour urinary collection and corresponding serum creatinine measurement at randomisation and final visit.

    Time frame: 24 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in eGFR (MDRD formula) from baseline to final follow-up

    Time frame: 24 months

  2. Change in eGFR (CKD-EPI formula) from baseline to final follow-up

    Time frame: 24 months

  3. Rates of requirement for renal replacement therapy

    Time frame: 24 months

  4. Change in 24-hour urinary protein from baseline to final visit

    Time frame: 24 months

  5. Increase in risk category for prognosis of CKD as measured by the KDIGO 2012 CKD classification table

    Time frame: 24 months

  6. Change in 24-hour urinary sodium excretion from baseline to final visit

    Time frame: 24 months

  7. Change in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure from 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring completed at baseline and final visit

    Time frame: 24 months

  8. Composite outcome of change in risk category for prognosis of CKD (increase in risk), requirement for renal replacement therapy or death as measured by the KDIGO 2012 CKD classification table

    Time frame: 24 months

  9. Change in functional status as measured by the assessment functional status questionnaire

    Time frame: 24 months

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University College Hospital Galway

Other

Collaborators

  • Health Research Board, Ireland
  • National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

Registry information

Official study title

Sodium Intake in Chronic Kidney Disease (STICK): A Randomised Controlled Trial

Acronym: STICK

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Jun 1, 2015
Registry last updated
Apr 28, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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