Well-Formulated Ketogenic Diet Polycystic Kidney Disease

May 12, 2026 updated by: Ohio State University

Feasibility and Efficacy of a Well-Formulated Ketogenic Diet in Delaying Progression of Polycystic Kidney Disease in Patients at Risk for Rapid Progression

This is a prospective study to determine ketogenic diet effect on htTKV, GFR, microalbuminuria. This is a single-center study of 20 patients with ADPKD and deemed high risk for progression to ESRD. This determined by combination of features of ADPKD and htTKV as assessed by prior computed tomography (CT) or MRI. Patients will be recruited from the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Clinic at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Enrolled patients will have MRI for htTKV, urinary studies, blood tests at baseline, 6 months, and 52 weeks. Blood for GFR will be assessed three times over the course of the study including baseline, 6 months, and 1 year. Participants will follow ketogenic diet for 52 weeks. Investigatory diet team will manage the ketogenic diet.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
        • Recruiting
        • The Ohio State University
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-65 years old
  • Diagnosis of ADPKD by imaging and/or genetic testing
  • GFR ≥ 25 mg/dl
  • Patients at risk for rapid progression of ADPKD: Mayo Class 1C-1E along with any other high risk features including early decline in GFR, hypertension onset ≤ 35 years of age, urologic events ≤ 35 years of age, PKD 1 truncating mutation and PROPKD score of 4 or higher as determined by the treating physician
  • No changes of medications within the last three months.
  • Able to comply with dietary intervention
  • Ability to sign informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients currently being treated with Tolvaptan
  • Diagnosed with diabetes.
  • Pregnancy
  • Contraindications to MRI
  • Ketogenic diet within the last three months
  • Severe kidney disease with GFR < 25 mg/dl
  • Unable to purchase food for the diet intervention
  • Gastrointestinal disorders that will interfere with diet intervention
  • Chronic alcohol or drug abuse

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Ketogenic Diet
The KD will follow general principles the investigators have described with the aim to achieve blood ketones >0.5 mM, which will require most participants to consume <50 g/day carbohydrate and ~1.5 g/kg reference weight protein. Fat will comprise the remaining calories with an emphasis on monounsaturated and saturated sources from whole foods.
Other: Ketogenic Diet
The diet intervention will start after all baseline testing is complete
Biological: Blood Draw
Blood samples will be collected according to the schedule in Figure 1
Biological: Ketone/Glucose Monitoring
KetoMojo hand-held glucometer will be used daily to monitor dietary intervention adherence.
Other: Body Composition
DEXA Scanning will be done pre-, mid-, and post- intervention.
Biological: CGM/CKM
Continuous Ketone/Glucose Monitor will be applied at the start of Test Day 1. The sensor will be checked by the study team at each test day and will be removed and replaced by a fresh sensor at ~2- week intervals during the study. The sensor will be removed at the end of the final test day.
Other: Change in glomerular filtration rate (mg/mmol) via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) .
Changes in glomerular filtration rate will be assessed via magnetic resonance imagining conducted by trained professionals. MRI imaging analyses will determine cardiac function. Trained imaging professionals will analyze the images to determine overall change (mg/mmol).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Finger Stick Beta-Hydroxybutyrate
Time Frame: Up to ~ 52 Weeks
changes in fasting ketone levels.
Up to ~ 52 Weeks
Finger Stick Glucose
Time Frame: Up to ~ 52 Weeks
changes in fasting glucose levels.
Up to ~ 52 Weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Time Frame: Up to ~ 12 Weeks

Changes in both Systolic and Diastolic blood pressure will be measured at each lab visit (eg. Baseline, Week 6, and Week 12).

Recording: The systolic and diastolic pressures are recorded in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). For example, a reading of "120/80 mmHg" indicates a systolic pressure of 120 mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 80 mmHg.
Time Frame: Up to ~ 12 Weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Ohio State University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 26, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 19, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 22, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 12, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2023H0258
  • CDMRP-PR212399-G (Other Grant/Funding Number: Departent of Defense)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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