Only a few research is available on the effects of home-based exercise training on pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the effect of home-based exercise therapy on kidney function and arm and leg muscle strength in pre-dialysis CKD patients. Thirty-six male stage 3–4 pre-dialysis CKD patients (age, 68.7 ± 6.8 years; estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), 39.0 ± 11.6 ml/min/1.73 m2) who were being treated as outpatients were included. The subjects were randomly assigned to an exercise intervention group (Ex group: 18) and a control group (C group: 18). The Ex group wore accelerometer pedometers and were instructed to perform home-based aerobic and resistance exercises, such as brisk walking for 30 min per day, for 12 months. The C group subjects wore accelerometer pedometers but received no exercise therapy guidance; the number of steps covered during normal daily activities was recorded for the C group. The outcome measures were changes in kidney function and handgrip and knee extension muscle strength. Values at the baseline (T1) and 12 months later (T2) were compared. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups; however, the C group was more physically active than the Ex group. Eight subjects dropped out, and 28 subjects (14 in each group) were included in the final analysis. Physical activity increased significantly only in the Ex group. Grip strength (F = 7.0, p = 0.01) and knee extension muscle strength (F = 14.3, p < 0.01) were found to improve only in the Ex group. Further, the changes in eGFR were not significantly different between the two groups (F = 0.01, p = 0.93). Home-based exercise therapy for pre-dialysis CKD patients was feasible and improved arm and leg muscle strength without affecting kidney function. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry ( UMIN000005091 ). Registered 2/15/2011.

Whether the effect of a low-protein diet on progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and mortality risk differs between young and elderly adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unclear. We conducted a retrospective CKD cohort study to investigate the association between protein intake and mortality or renal outcomes and whether age affects this association. The cohort comprised 352 patients with stage G3-5 CKD who had been followed up for a median 4.2 years, had undergone educational hospitalization, and for whom baseline protein intake was estimated from 24-h urine samples. We classified the patients into a very low protein intake (VLPI) group (0.8 g). Compared with the LPI group, the MPI group had a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 0.29; 95% confidence interval: 0.07 to 0.94) but a similar risk of ESRD, although relatively high protein intake was related to a faster decline in the estimated glomerular filtration rate. When examined per age group, these results were observed only among the elderly patients, suggesting that the association between baseline dietary protein intake and all-cause mortality in patients with CKD is age-dependent.