CJASN Study showing 12 months of Urea use extremely effective at keeping sodium in normal range.Urea has been used for many years and in many countries for the treatment of SIADH/Hyponatremia. Urea is considered a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) product by the FDA1. In fact, an interesting study took place in Belgium in 2012. They looked at 12 patients with chronic SIADH, with an average sodium of 125 meq/L (low). The first year, they were given the new, very expensive, pharmaceutical drug class Vaptans daily. The average Sodium came up to a normal level of 135 meq/L. 1 patient out of the 12 dropped out due to severe thirst. Next, the patients had an 8 day “holiday” without treatment, and as expected the Sodium went back down (pictured above). Over the next 12 months, the SIADH patients were given oral Urea therapy.
The patients now on Urea have a similar normal sodium level of 135 meq/L. However, this time there were no dropouts nor any significant adverse events. The authors, therefore concluded that oral Urea was safe, well tolerated and as effective as the Vaptans at a much lower cost.2 This study impacted the current European best practice guidelines which advocate for Urea over Vaptans for SIADH/Hyponatremia.3
Another study, this time out of Italy, looked back from years 2013-2018 on 36 patients with cancer associated SIADH/Hyponatremia. They were treated with Urea, and had an average sodium 1 point lower at 124 meq/L (low). They noted after only 24 hours of treatment, the sodium improved on average by 5 meq/L. Secondarily, the Italian physician scientists discovered over 90% of patients on 60 days of treatment with Urea, achieved a normal sodium level. The authors, therefore concluded oral Urea was safe, effective beginning first day of treatment, and very well tolerated.4
Urea has been used for many years in multiple countries for SIADH/Hyponatremia. Urea has always shown to be safe and effective even when taken for a year or more. Our version of this miraculous medical food is UreaAide™ which can be found by clicking here KidneyAide.
Links to the FDA, CJASN and Endocrinology studies + European guidelines for Hyponatremia.
1.https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=184.1923
2.https://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/7/5/742
3. http://www.european-renal-best-practice.org/sites/default/files/u33/short%20version%20hyponatraemia%20English%20FINAL.pdf
4.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cen.13966