Association of the nutritional risk index for Japanese hemodialysis patients with long-term mortality: The Q-Cohort Study

Recent Advances in the Nutritional Screening, Assessment, and Treatment of Japanese Patients on Hemodialysis

Patients on hemodialysis (HD) have a higher rate of protein-energy wasting (PEW) due to lower dietary intake of energy and protein (particularly on dialysis days) and greater loss of many nutrients in the dialysate effluent than other patients. The most well-known method of nutritional screening is the subjective global assessment. Moreover, the Global Leadership Initiative on MalnutIrition has developed the first internationally standardized method for diagnosing malnutrition; however, its use in patients on HD has not been established. In contrast, the nutritional risk index for Japanese patients on HD has recently been developed as a screening tool for malnutrition in patients on HD, based on the modified PEW criteria. These tools are beneficial for screening nutritional disorders, enabling registered dietitians to assess patients' dietary intake on dialysis and non-dialysis days and provide advice on dietary intake, especially immediately after dialysis cessation. Oral supplementation with enteral nutrients containing whey protein may also be administered when needed. In patients that experience adverse effects from oral supplementation, intradialytic parenteral nutrition (IDPN) should be combined with moderate dietary intake because IDPN alone cannot provide sufficient nutrition.

Association of the nutritional risk index for Japanese hemodialysis with mortality and dietary nutritional intake in patients undergoing hemodialysis during long-term hospitalization

AIM

The nutritional risk index for Japanese hemodialysis (NRI-JH) is a nutritional screening tool for predicting mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis; however, its utility in patients undergoing hemodialysis during long-term hospitalization who have a high risk of protein-energy wasting, is unclear.

METHODS

This retrospective study assessed hospitalized patients undergoing hemodialysis during long-term care at a single hospital. The NRI-JH was calculated using body mass index, serum albumin level, total cholesterol level, and serum creatinine level. The patients were categorized into three risk groups-low, medium, and high. Dietary energy and protein intake were evaluated by dietitians. The association of NRI-JH risk with nutritional intake and mortality were examined.

RESULTS

In total, 133 patients were analyzed. The NRI-JH risk was low in 24%, medium in 26%, and high in 50% of the patients. The patients in the high-risk group were older and had lower energy and protein intakes than those in the low- and medium-risk groups. High-risk patients showed shorter survival times than low- and medium-risk patients, and a high NRI-JH risk was associated with a high mortality rate (hazard ratio [HR], 2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-4.77; p < 0.05). The association weakened when protein intake and C-reactive protein level were added as covariates (HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 0.95-4.28, p = 0.07).

CONCLUSIONS

High NRI-JH risk was associated with low dietary nutritional intake and poor survival in patients undergoing hemodialysis during long-term hospitalization. Nutritional status evaluation and nutritional interventions may improve prognosis in this population.

Nutritional Status Association With Sarcopenia in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis Assessed by Nutritional Risk Index

Background

Malnutrition and sarcopenia are frequently observed in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). To elucidate whether malnutrition is associated with sarcopenia in those cases, the relationship of nutritional status with sarcopenia was investigated.

Methods

Nutritional status was assessed using a nutritional risk index (NRI) developed for patients undergoing MHD. This retrospective cross-sectional study included 315 MHD patients (199 males, 116 females), who were divided into low-risk (score 0–7) and medium-/high-risk (score 8–13) groups. Sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia, along with low muscle mass, low muscle strength, and low physical performance were defined using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria.

Results

The median NRI score was 5.0, while the prevalence of medium-/high-risk cases among the patients was 31.1%. Additionally, the rates of those with low muscle mass, low muscle strength, and low physical performance were 55.9, 60.6, and 31.4%, respectively, while those of sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia were 44.1 and 20.0%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed a significant (P < 0.001) association of NRI score with sarcopenia [odds ratio (OR) 1.255, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.143–1.377] and severe sarcopenia (OR 1.257, 95% CI 1.122–1.407), as well as low muscle mass (OR 1.260, 95% CI 1.157–1.374), low muscle strength (OR 1.310, 95% CI 1.178–1.457), and low physical performance (OR 1.216, 95% CI 1.104–1.339). Furthermore, medium-/high-risk status showed a significant (P < 0.05) association with sarcopenia (OR 2.960, 95% CI 1.623–5.401) and severe sarcopenia (OR 2.241, 95% CI 1.151–4.362), as well as low muscle mass (OR 2.141, 95% CI 1.219–3.760), low muscle strength (OR 7.665, 95% CI 3.438–17.091), and low physical performance (OR 2.570, 95% CI 1.401–4.716).

Conclusions

These results suggest that malnutrition contributes to sarcopenia/severe sarcopenia in MHD patients by reducing muscle mass and strength, and physical performance.

Neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein ratio associates with higher all-cause mortality and new onset cardiovascular events in peritoneal dialysis patients

BACKGROUND

Neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein ratio (NHR), a new inflammatory marker, is associated with poor clinical prognosis. However, the correlation of NHR and adverse outcomes in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients remains unclear.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 1051 PD patients were recruited from three centers during Jan 1, 2009 to Dec 31, 2017. Eligible patients were distributed according to quartiles of the NHR. Kaplan-Meier cumulative incidence curves, multivariate COX regression, competitive risk analysis and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were applied to analyze the relationship between NHR and all-cause mortality as well as cardiovascular events (CVE). In addition, forest plots were used to calculate the interaction between different subgroups.

RESULTS

During follow-up, a total of 240 all-cause mortality and 157 new-onset CVE were recorded. The all-cause mortality in the highest quartile of NHR (> 5.43) were higher than those in the other groups. RCS showed a non-linear relationship between NHR and adverse outcomes. Multivariate COX regression indicated elevated NHR was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality. Compared to the highest quartile, hazard ratio (HR) of new-onset CVE equals to 0.522 (95% CI 0.321-0.849) in the secondary quartile (2.43 < NHR ≤ 3.57), and the HR of all-cause mortality analysis is 0.551 (95% CI 0.378-0.803) in the third quartile (3.57 < NHR ≤ 5.43). Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested there were significant differences in all-cause mortality and new-onset CVE among four NHR groups.

CONCLUSIONS

NHR was a new independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in PD patients.

Emerging cross-talks between chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) and malnutrition-inflammation complex syndrome (MICS) in patients receiving dialysis

Chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder (CKD–MBD) is a systemic disorder that affects multiple organs and systems and increases the risk of morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD, especially those receiving dialysis therapy. CKD–MBD is highly prevalent in CKD patients, and its treatment is gaining attention from healthcare providers who manage these patients. Additional important pathologies often observed in CKD patients are chronic inflammation and malnutrition/protein-energy wasting (PEW). These two pathologies coexist to form a vicious cycle that accelerates the progression of various other pathologies in CKD patients. This concept is integrated into the term “malnutrition–inflammation–atherosclerosis syndrome” or “malnutrition–inflammation complex syndrome (MICS)”. Recent basic and clinical studies have shown that CKD–MBD directly induces inflammation as well as malnutrition/PEW. Indeed, higher circulating levels of inorganic phosphate, fibroblast growth factor 23, parathyroid hormone, and calciprotein particles, as markers for critical components and effectors of CKD–MBD, were shown to directly induce inflammatory responses, thereby leading to malnutrition/PEW, cardiovascular diseases, and clinically relevant complications. In this short review, we discuss the close interplay between CKD–MBD and MICS and emphasize the significance of simultaneous control of these two seemingly distinct pathologies in patients with CKD, especially those receiving dialysis therapy, for better management of the CKD/hemodialysis population.