Bioimpedance norms for the hemodialysis population (original) (raw)

1997, Kidney International

Bioimpedance norms for the hemodialysis population. More than 3,000 hemodialysis patients were examined with single-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Distributions of resistance, reactance, phase angle (PA), and estimates of total body water (TBW) and body cell mass (BCM) by BIA were determined, and compared with traditional laboratory markers of nutritional status. Bioimpedance parameters and body composition estimates differed significantly by age, sex, race, and diabetic status. PA and BCM correlated directly with serum creatinine, albumin, and prealbumin concentrations. Population-based norms for bioimpedance parameters and estimates of body composition are provided. Protein energy malnutrition afflicts a large fraction of hemodialysis patients [1-3] and is an important determinant of mortality and morbidity [4-8]. Several methods of nutritional assessment have been applied in this population, including estimates of dietary intake, anthropometry, and biochemical tests consisting of serum concentrations of creatinine, albumin, and prealbumin. These biochemical indicators have been repeatedly shown to predict survival in hemodialysis patients, although their levels can be confounded by other disease processes (such as liver disease), and they do not capture the entire realm of malnutrition. Body composition analysis has attracted some interest, however, most facilities.