Our latest HERU Blog article looks at the findings of the BiCARB study. The study looked at the clinical and cost-effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate to reduce acidosis in older people who have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Acidosis, excessive acids in blood, can lead to a range of health issues and causes kidney disease to get worse more rapidly. For decades, oral sodium bicarbonate has been used to neutralize excess acid, although its effectiveness has been unclear. The BiCARB study found that sodium bicarbonate did not produce any health benefits and was unlikely to offer good value for money to the NHS, at least for this group of older patients with CKD.
