Association between Fiber Intake and Risk of Incident Chronic Kidney Disease: The UK Biobank Study

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Nutritional Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Dietary fiber intake is linked to reduced risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
• The impact of dietary fiber on preventing chronic kidney disease (CKD) development remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between dietary fiber density and the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Main Methods:

• Utilized the UK Biobank prospective cohort of 110,412 participants with no prior CKD history.
• Assessed total, soluble, and insoluble dietary fiber density (g/1,000 kcal) using dietary questionnaires.
• Monitored incident CKD over a median follow-up of 9.9 years.

Main Results:

• 3.2% of participants developed incident CKD.
• Higher quartiles of dietary fiber density were associated with significantly lower adjusted hazard ratios for CKD.
• A continuous increase of +1.0g/1,000 kcal in fiber density correlated with a 3% reduced risk of CKD.

Conclusions:

• Increased dietary fiber intake is associated with a lower risk of developing CKD.
• Both soluble and insoluble fiber contribute to this protective effect.
• Findings were consistent across various demographic and health subgroups.