Sugar-sweetened Beverages and Chronic Kidney Disease

Increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has occurred in parallel with the increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the US. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, particularly with fructose, has been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperuricemia, and nephrolithiasis, all of which are risk factors for CKD. However, the direct role of sugarsweetened beverages in the progression of CKD remains unclear. To date, five epidemiologic studies have examined the association between sugar consumption and kidney outcomes, with two showing statistically significant positive associations between higher sugar intake and adverse kidney outcomes. Even though the direct causal relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and CKD has not been definitely established, it is advisable to counsel individuals with CKD and those at risk for CKD to limit the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages in light of its known detrimental effects on CKD risk factors.