title: Body composition and cardiovascular risk factors in pretransplant hemodialysis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity, hyperlipemia and cardiovascular complications contribute to a significant proportion of morbidity and mortality of renal transplant patients and have negative effects on renal survival. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the main abnormalities in body composition and the prevalence of some cardiovascular risk factors in a population of hemodialyzed (HD) patients awaiting renal transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 151 HD patients, all included in a waiting list for renal transplantation, 97 males and 54 females, with mean age 47.4+/-12 years. Patients were divided into three groups according to their body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2): 18.5 to 24.9 (normoweight, NW); 25.0 to 29.9 (overweight, OW); > or =30 (obese, OB). The body composition measurements were obtained the day after the mid-week HD session using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that 47 patients were NW (31%), while 56 were OW (37%), and 48 were OB (32%). BIA-measured body cell mass was (BCM) significantly increased in the OW as compared with the NW group (P<0.001), but, of note, no significant difference was found in OB group in comparison with the OW. Total cholesterol and triglycerides plasma levels were significantly elevated in OW and OB patients with respect to NW (P<0.05) and an increased prevalence of diabetes was seen in OB patients (NW: 6%, OW: 5%, OB: 12%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data show that a large proportion of patients awaiting renal transplant are overweight or obese and a consistent part of them have other cardiovascular risk factors associated. Furthermore, obese HD patients have a BCM lower than predicted on the basis of BMI and show an altered metabolic profile. A better understanding of the characteristics of patients included in the renal transplant waiting list is crucial in order to design prospective studies that aim to define the proper risk profile for the selection of patients.
authors.affiliation: Physiology-Nutrition Section, Department of Neuroscience, University of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini N degrees 5, 80131 Naples, Italy. bguida@unina.it
authors.forename: Brunella
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guida
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trio
authors.forename: AnnaMaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nastasi
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laccetti
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pesola
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torraca
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Memoli
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cianciaruso
mesh_terms: D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol