Low linolenic and linoleic acid consumption are associated with chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes

Aim This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the association of the fat content in the diet with Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methodology Patients from the Diabetes research clinic at Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre (Brazil) were consecutively recruited. The inclusion criterion was the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The exclusion criteria were as follows: body mass index >40 kg/m2, heart failure, gastroparesis, diabetic diarrhea, dietary counseling by a registered dietitian during the previous 12 months, and inability to perform the weighed diet records (WDR). The dietary fatty acids (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) consumption was estimated by 3-day WDR. Compliance with the WDR technique was assessed by comparison of protein intake estimated from the 3-day WDR and from the 24-h urinary nitrogen output performed on the third day of the WDR period. The presence of DKD was defined as urinary albumin excretion (UAE) ≥ 30 mg / 24 h or/and glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Urinary albumin was measured twice and eGFR was estimated by using the CKD-EPI equation. Results A total of 366 patients were evaluated; of these, 33% (n = 121) had DKD. Multivariate analysis showed that the intake of linolenic acid was negatively associated with DKD (OR = 0.57; 95% CI 0.35–0.93; P = 0.024), adjusted for gender, smoking, cardiovascular disease, ACE inhibitors and/or angiotensin receptor blocker use, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and HDL cholesterol. In a separate model, similar results were observed for linoleic acid, adjusting to the same co-variables (OR = 0.95; 95% CI 0.91–0.99; P = 0.006). Conclusion The lower intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially linolenic and linoleic acid, is associated with chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.