Nutritional assessment of patients in haemodialysis by bioimpedance spectroscopy and BMI.

Abstract

Introduction: Dialysis patients carry an increased risk of malnutrition, which is often defined by BMI. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the quality of BMI as a marker of nutritional status in haemodialysis (HD) patients by comparing BMI to body composition measurements from bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS).

Methods: This observational study included 85 patients receiving chronic HD in 2021 at the Dialysis Clinic, Gødstrup Hospital, Denmark. Nutritional status was assessed with BMI and BIS, which determined values of fat tissue index (FTI), lean tissue index (LTI) and overhydration. Furthermore, albumin blood levels were also assessed.

Results: Patients with diabetes had a significantly lower LT and a higher FTI and BMI than their diabetes-free counterparts. LTI was inversely correlated to age, and BMI was correlated with FTI but not with LTI.

Conclusions: Our study illustrates that calculation of BMI in HD patients should be used with caution as it does not correlate with LTI, which is an important prognostic factor. We propose body composition assessment, e.g., by BIS, as a supplement to BMI in nutritional assessments.

Funding: This research received no specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Trial registration: Not relevant, as the project was performed as a quality assurance study.