Is the Atkins Diet Linked to Heart and Kidney Problems?
posted 11/28/03

Some people on low-carbohydrate, high-fat, high-protein diets are starting to complain about heart and kidney problems they believe may be linked to the diet. In late 2002, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (publisher of Breaking Medical News) established a Web site (www.AtkinsDietAlert.org), which cautioned consumers about the high-fat diet fad and provided a registry for reporting health problems. Of 188 registrants logging in health concerns during the registry’s pilot period, 22% had kidney problems (11% stones, 9% reduced kidney function, 2% infections), while 20% reported heart-related problems, such as heart attack, heart rhythm abnormalities, or worsening cholesterol levels. Gallbladder problems were reported by 11%. Gout, osteoporosis, diabetes, and cancer were also reported. The Southern Medical Journal reported the death of a 16-year-old girl following the Atkins Diet, and other deaths have occurred in low-carb dieters, heightening concerns about the diet’s potential risks.

The registry data are self-reports only and have been passed along to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you know of anyone who has developed heart or kidney problems while on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet, please refer him or her to www.AtkinsDietAlert.org.

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Breaking Medical News is a service of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, 5100 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20016, 202-686-2210. To join PCRM and receive the quarterly magazine, Good Medicine, log onto www.PCRM.org.

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