Astragalus and kidney function

Supplementing with astragalus was found to prevent a decline in kidney function 

A 2024 randomised controlled trial found that in patients with type 2 diabetes, stage 2 to 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and macroalbuminuria (also known as proteinuria), taking astragalus for 48 weeks further stabilised kidney function on top of standard care.

Astragalus is a herb that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for centuries. It has a strong reputation in TCM for providing support for the kidneys. In the clinical practice of TCM astragalus is mainly used to invigorate Qi. Astragalus may support kidney health by improving blood flow and laboratory markers of kidney function, such as measures of protein in the urine.

In this clinical trial 118 patients, with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 30-90 mL/min/1.73m and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) of 300 to 5000 mg/g were randomly assigned to taking oral astragalus granules (15g of raw herb daily equivalent) or to continue standard care alone, with no placebo, for 48 weeks. Compared to the astragalus group, eGFR declined (worsened) in the control group (−3.9 mL/min/1.73 m2) and there was no difference for UACR. For secondary outcomes, there was a decrease in systolic blood pressure and liver enzymes in the astragalus group compared to the control group.

References

Chan KW, Kwong ASK, Tsui PN, Chan GCW, Choi WF, Yiu WH, Cheung SCY, Wong

MMY, Zhang ZJ, Tan KCB, Lao L, Lai KN, Tang SCW; READY and SCHEMATIC

research group. Add-on astragalus in type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: A

multi-center, assessor-blind, randomized controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2024 Jul

25;130:155457. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155457. Epub 2024 Feb 28. PMID:

38810556.