[Prevalence of calorie protein malnutrition among patients in chronic hemodialysis].
BACKGROUND
Malnutrition has been strongly associated with morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. In the other hand, dialysis allows a nutritional improvement in patients with more than 12 months in dialysis.


OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of malnutrition among patients in hemodialysis.


METHODS
We measured clinical, anthropometric and biochemical parameters of nutritional status in chronic hemodialysed patients. Results were related to individual time in dialysis. Patients with more and less than 12 months in dialysis were compared.


RESULTS
Twenty nine patients (18 male) aged 14 to 65 years old, were studied. Mean caloric intake was 23.8 Cal/Kg and protein intake was 0.7 g/Kg. Mean body mass index was 21.7 +/- 3.7 kg/m2 Thirty eight percent of patients had a body mass index of less than 20 kg/m2. Mean serum albumin was 4.1 +/- 0.7 g/L; mean prealbumin was 33.5 +/- 7.9 mg% and creatinine was 9.6 +/- 2.8 mg%. Serum cholesterol was 182 mg% and triacylglycerol 129 mg%. PCR was 42.2 +/- 18.8 and Kt/V was 1.45 +/- 0.3. We did not find a correlation between nutritional markers and time in dialysis or a difference in nutritional parameters between patients with less or more than 12 months in dialysis.


CONCLUSIONS
These patients in chronic dialysis have a high prevalence of caloric malnutrition, which may be due to a poor caloric intake. Protein malnutrition parameters were normal in most patients. The absence of abnormal lipid levels, common in chronic renal failure, is noticeable.
Huidobro
A
A
MRC International Nutrition Group, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 49-51 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP. andrea.huidobro@lshtm.ac.uk
Velasco
N
N
Rojas
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides