Nephrol Dial Transplant (2002) 17: 563-572
© 2002 European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association
Special Feature
Nutritional status in dialysis patients: a European consensus
1 Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Azienda Ospedale di Lecco, Ospedale A. Manzoni, Lecco, Italy, 2 Department of Nephrology, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France, 3 Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, 4 Department of Nephrology and Inserm U507, Necker Hospital, Paris, France, 5 Bone and Mineral Research Unit, Instituto Reina Sofia de Investigación, Hospital Central de Asturias, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain, 6 Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, and 7 Department of Nephrology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Abstract
Background. Malnutrition is common in dialysis patients and closely related to morbidity and mortality. Therefore, assessment of nutritional status and nutritional management of dialysis patients play a central role in everyday nephrological practice.
Methods. Achieving a consensus on key points relating to pathogenesis, clinical assessment, and nutritional management of dialysis patients.
Results. The assessment of nutritional status should be based on clinical assessment and biochemical parameters, including history of weight loss, per cent standard weight, body mass index, muscle mass, subcutaneous fat mass, and plasma albumin, creatinine, bicarbonate and cholesterol. Co-morbid conditions should be assessed and C-reactive protein (CRP) measuredas a marker of inflammationas there is a close relation between malnutrition, on one side, and co-morbid conditions and inflammation on the other. For a more detailed assessment, subjective global assessment of nutritional status is a well-validated tool, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is a useful method for routine assessment of lean body mass. Anthropometric methods are also useful. They are cheap and easy to apply, although less precise than DEXA. The recommended daily protein intake is at least 1.2 g/kg standard body weight and the energy intake 35 kcal/kg standard body weight (BW), in patients <60 years, and 30 kcal/kg standard BW in patients >60 years. The standard bicarbonate level should be at least 22 mmol/l. If CRP is >10 mg/l, it is important to seek and treat the underlying cause. Adequate dialysis (for haemodialysis: Kt/V >1.2) should be ensured and, although no definite evidence of the importance of dialysis water quality is available, the opinion of the authors is that the water quality should be high. The role of the biocompatibility of the dialysis membrane is still not clear. The dietitian plays a pivotal role in the nutritional care of dialysis patients, and patients should be provided with dietary counselling from the start of substitutive treatment in order to meet the recommended nutritional intakes. Dietary counselling can also play an important role in an integrated treatment of hyperphosphataemia, although most patients will also need phosphate binders if they have an adequate protein intake.
Conclusion. Malnutrition assessment and treatment is a great challenge for nephrological care. Achieving evidence-based consensus can help in implementing the progress of knowledge in clinical practice.
Keywords: acidosis; catabolism; dietary counselling; dietary supplements; dietician; inflammation; lean body mass; malnutrition; nutritional status
Notes
Correspondence and offprint requests to: Prof. Dr Francesco Locatelli, Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Ospedale A. Manzoni, Via Dell'Eremo 11, I-23900 Lecco, Italy. Email: nefrologia{at}ospedale.lecco.it
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
A.-E. Heng and N. J. M. Cano Nutritional problems in adult patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease on dialysis (both haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis) NDT Plus, October 19, 2009; (2009) sfp147v1. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
I. de Brito-Ashurst, M. Varagunam, M. J. Raftery, and M. M. Yaqoob Bicarbonate Supplementation Slows Progression of CKD and Improves Nutritional Status J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., September 1, 2009; 20(9): 2075 - 2084. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Segall, N.-G. Mardare, S. Ungureanu, M. Busuioc, I. Nistor, R. Enache, S. Marian, and A. Covic Nutritional status evaluation and survival in haemodialysis patients in one centre from Romania Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., August 1, 2009; 24(8): 2536 - 2540. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. M. Bauer, M. J. Kaiser, P. Anthony, Y. Guigoz, and C. C. Sieber The Mini Nutritional Assessment(R)--Its History, Today's Practice, and Future Perspectives Nutr Clin Pract, August 1, 2008; 23(4): 388 - 396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Goday Intradialytic Parenteral Nutrition Does Not Improve Survival in Malnourished Hemodialysis Patients: A 2-Year Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized Study Nutr Clin Pract, June 1, 2008; 23(3): 343 - 344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. M.C. Brunini, A. C. Mendes-Ribeiro, J. C. Ellory, and G. E. Mann Platelet nitric oxide synthesis in uremia and malnutrition: A role for L-arginine supplementation in vascular protection? Cardiovasc Res, January 15, 2007; 73(2): 359 - 367. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. Y. Wu, C. S. Shinaberger, D. L. Regidor, C. J. McAllister, J. D. Kopple, and K. Kalantar-Zadeh Association between Serum Bicarbonate and Death in Hemodialysis Patients: Is It Better to Be Acidotic or Alkalotic? Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., January 1, 2006; 1(1): 70 - 78. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C C Geddes and G M Baxter Renal impairment Imaging, January 1, 2005; 17(1): 1 - 18. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
B. J Foster and M. B Leonard Measuring nutritional status in children with chronic kidney disease Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2004; 80(4): 801 - 814. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. M Berger, A. Shenkin, J.-P. Revelly, E. Roberts, M C. Cayeux, M. Baines, and R. L Chiolero Copper, selenium, zinc, and thiamine balances during continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration in critically ill patients Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2004; 80(2): 410 - 416. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. Hecking, J. L. Bragg-Gresham, H. C. Rayner, R. L. Pisoni, V. E. Andreucci, C. Combe, R. Greenwood, K. McCullough, H. I. Feldman, E. W. Young, et al. Haemodialysis prescription, adherence and nutritional indicators in five European countries: results from the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., January 1, 2004; 19(1): 100 - 107. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. N. Friedman Overweight and obesity as a nutritional issue in the dialysis population Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., December 1, 2002; 17(12): 2273 - 2273. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
F. Locatelli, D. Fouque, O. Heimburger, T. B. Drueke, J. B. Cannata-Andia, W. H. Horl, and E. Ritz Reply Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., December 1, 2002; 17(12): 2273 - 2274. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||







