The ketogenic diet is primarily used to treat which condition?

The ketogenic diet is particularly recognized for its efficacy in treating seizures, especially in pediatric patients who have epilepsy that does not respond to conventional treatment options. The high-fat, low-carbohydrate nature of the ketogenic diet alters the body's metabolism, allowing it to enter a state of ketosis. In this state, the brain uses ketones as an energy source instead of glucose, which can help stabilize neuronal excitability and reduce the frequency of seizures.

The diet has been studied extensively and was originally developed in the 1920s to mimic the effects of fasting, which was known to reduce seizure occurrence. Since then, numerous clinical studies have confirmed its usefulness in managing epilepsy, particularly in drug-resistant cases.

While the other conditions listed may involve dietary management, they do not have the same level of established evidence supporting the use of the ketogenic diet as a treatment method as seen with seizures. Cystic fibrosis requires a high-energy diet to meet increased nutrient needs, chronic renal failure may require dietary modifications possibly including protein restriction, and hypotension usually involves fluid and salt management rather than a specific dietary pattern like the ketogenic diet.