Association between Dietary Acid Load and Chronic Kidney Disease in the Chinese Population: A Comprehensive Analysis of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (2009)

Background: Dietary acid load (DAL) is closely related to several chronic diseases. However, the link between DAL and chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains scarce and without data from the Chinese populations whose diet is quite different from people in Western countries. Methods: This study evaluated DAL by potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP). We clarified the relationship between DAL and CKD by logistic regression analysis based on data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Results: The final analysis included 7699 individuals, of whom 811 (11.44%) were CKD patients. Although there was no notable link between PRAL and CKD, higher NEAP levels were independently correlated with CKD. As NEAP values rise, so does CKD prevalence. This trend remains highly significant even after adjustments. In subgroup analyses, the relationship between NEAP and CKD was more consistent in the elderly and subjects with a waistline of less than 82 cm and those without diabetes and heart disease. RCS analysis further confirmed the clear linear relationship between the OR of CKD and NEAP score. Conclusions: This study highlighted that higher NEAP was positively correlated with the risk of CKD.