Cost-effectiveness analysis for the treatment of chronic kidney disease with low-protein diet | Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer Open Menu Functional Foods in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2160-3855; Print ISSN: 2378-7007 Home Food Science Publisher Functional Food Center Current Archives About About the Journal Aims and Scope Contact Editing Services Editorial Team Express Peer Review Graphical Abstract Journal Insights Privacy Statement Submissions Announcements Search Search Register Login Home / Archives / Vol. 3 No. 7 (2013): July 2013 / Research Articles Cost-effectiveness analysis for the treatment of chronic kidney disease with low-protein diet Authors F. S. Mennini Dept Nephrology, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Center for European Nutrition and Safety, Université de Lyon S. Russo Dept Nephrology, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Center for European Nutrition and Safety, Université de Lyon A. Marcellusi Dept Nephrology, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Center for European Nutrition and Safety, Université de Lyon F. Palazzo Departments of Nephrology Dialysis and Cardiology, Silvestrini Hospital, Perugia P. Quintaliani Department of Statistics, University of Rome “La Sapienza” DOI: https://doi.org/10.31989/ffhd.v3i7.47 Abstract Background: Several clinical studies have shown that a low protein diet in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), delays the natural progression of the end stage renal disease (ESRD) and the necessary treatment of chronic dialysis. Objective: The aim of this study is to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a low protein diet compared with no dietary treatment in patients with CKD stage 4 and 5 after 2, 3, 5 and 10 years. Method: A Markov model was developed to estimate costs and QALYs associated with low protein diet versus no treatment for patients with CKD stage 4-5. The transition probability was estimated on data from seven studies which determined the efficacy of low protein diets in delaying the need to start maintenance dialysis. The Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) scores used were estimated with the Time Trade Off technique. The annual cost of dialysis per patient was estimated to be approximately €34,072. The costs of a low-protein diet was €1,440 per patient per year in the Lazio Region (conservative assumptions).   Results: Treatment with a low-protein diet was more effective in terms of QALYs: the difference was always in favour of dietary treatment from a 0.09 QALYS after the first two years, 0.16 after three years, 0.36 after five years and up to a differential of 0.93 year after the first 10 years of treatment. In terms of cost-effectiveness, the dietary treatment was always dominant in all intervals considered. The dominance is due to the fact that the treatment is more effective in terms of QALYs and at the same time is less expensive. Conclusion: The results of these simulations indicate that the treatment of CKD patients with a low protein diet is cost effective relative to no treatment in an Italian setting. Further studies should test this model in other countries with different dialysis costs and dietary support. Key words: chronic kidney disease, low-protein diet, cost-effectiveness of a low protein diet Downloads [Abstract] [Full Article] Published 2013-07-07 Issue Vol. 3 No. 7 (2013): July 2013 Section Research Articles License Authors retain the copyright of their articles and grant the Functional Food Center (FFC) and its journals the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, including commercial use, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. Authors may post and share their published work freely, provided that the original publication in this journal is acknowledged. By submitting to this journal, authors confirm that their manuscripts are original, not under consideration elsewhere, and that they hold the necessary rights to grant this license. The Functional Food Center encourages open scientific exchange and allows derivative and extended works, provided attribution to the original publication is maintained. About the Journal      Editing Services      Graphical Abstract      Journal Insights        Submissions        Editorial Team       Privacy Statement        Contact        Current        Archives   Open Journal Systems Hosting and Support by: OpenJournalSystems.com