Key result
Plant-based diet fails to significantly reduce blood pressure vs standard diet in kidney transplant recipients.
Why the study?
Kidney transplant recipients have high cardiovascular risk from hypertension and metabolic abnormalities, and data on how plant-based diets affect cardiometabolic health and gut microbiota in this population were limited.
Does a 12-week plant-based diet improve blood pressure change from baseline compared to a standard diet in kidney transplant recipients with stable allograft function?
RCT (n=102)
Randomized
Does a 12-week plant-based diet improve blood pressure change from baseline compared to a standard diet in kidney transplant recipients with stable allograft function?
In kidney transplant recipients, a 12-week plant-based diet did not significantly reduce blood pressure or alter gut microbial diversity compared to a standard diet, though exploratory analyses showed improvements in lipid profiles and fat mass without major safety concerns.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Plant-based diet yields no BP reduction in kidney transplant recipients; challenges extension of cardiometabolic benefits seen in broader populations.
Introduction Kidney transplant recipients remain at high cardiovascular risk due to hypertension and metabolic abnormalities. Although plant-based diets improve cardiometabolic health and gut microbiota, data in this population are limited. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, 102 kidney transplant recipients with stable allograft function were assigned to a plant-based or standard diet for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the difference in blood pressure change from the baseline between 2 groups; secondary outcomes included the group difference in the change of kidney function, quality of life, and gut microbiota (16S rRNA sequencing). Results Between-group differences in change were not significant for systolic blood pressure (−2.00 mmHg; 95% CI, −6.67 to 2.67; P=0.40) or diastolic blood pressure (−2.84 mmHg; 95% CI, −5.92 to 0.24; P=0.07). Creatinine-based eGFR increased less with the plant-based diet (between-group difference, −2.70 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ; P=0.04), whereas cystatin C-based eGFR changes did not differ significantly. Exploratory analyses showed greater reductions in total cholesterol, LDL, and fat mass with the plant-based diet. Skeletal muscle mass and quality of life changes did not differ significantly. Among 91 participants with paired samples, Chao1 increased in both groups, whereas Shannon did not change significantly. Paired changes in the top 20 species and families were nonsignificant after FDR correction. No major safety concerns were observed. Conclusion A short-term plant-based dietary consumption is safe and improves lipid profile and body composition in kidney transplant recipients, without significant effects on blood pressure or gut microbial diversity.
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Kitpermkiat et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Kidney transplant recipients with stable allograft function (n=102). Plant-based diet vs. Standard diet was evaluated on Difference in blood pressure change from baseline between groups (systolic and diastolic blood pressure) (MD -2.00 mmHg (systolic BP); MD -2.84 mmHg (diastolic BP), 95% CI -6.67 to 2.67 (systolic BP); -5.92 to 0.24 (diastolic BP), p=0.40 (systolic BP); 0.07 (diastolic BP)). A 12-week plant-based diet did not significantly change systolic (-2.00 mmHg; P=0.40) or diastolic (-2.84 mmHg; P=0.07) blood pressure vs standard diet in kidney transplant recipients.
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