The Effect of Egg White Meal on Anemia in Patients on Hemodialysis Taking Erythropoietin and Iron Infusion.

Objects: Eggs are a useful and cheap food source. We evaluated the effects of egg white meal on anemia in dialysis patients.

Methods: In an open-label, clinical trial, conducted in dialysis centers, 107 hemodialysis patients aged ≥18 years with hemoglobin levels below 12 g/dL and requiring treatment with artificial erythropoietin and iron infusion were included in the study. They were divided into a control and an intervention group. The participants in the intervention group consumed an egg white pack (containing six egg whites, 96 calories, 24 g protein) as a substitute for meat products 3 days a week for 8 weeks. Finally, changes in serum albumin, hemoglobin, ferritin and iron/TIBC, erythropoietin dose and iron infusion dose were measured.

Results: A total of 107 dialysis patients were studied, (55 patients in egg white and 52 in control groups) with the mean age of 54.31±16.35 years and male majority (57.90%). The mean of hemoglobin concentration had no statistically significant difference at baseline (P=0.13) and after four weeks. (P=0.48), while after eight weeks, the mean hemoglobin concentration in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group. (P=0.03) mean of synthetic erythropoietin dose after 4 and 8 weeks was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group. (P=0.30, P=0.001) lower ERI values in intervention group was significantly higher than the control group. (P=0.02) CONCLUSION: We observed that consumption of egg whites led to an increase in mean hemoglobin concentration, serum iron, and albumin levels. These results suggest that egg whites could be a useful dietary intervention for dialysis patients with anemia.