Haemodialysis patients with diabetes eat less than those without: A plea for a permissive diet.

AIM: The main cause of malnutrition in haemodialysis patients is a spontaneous decline in energy and protein intakes. This study aims to report the dietary energy intake (DEI), dietary protein intake (DPI), and dietary micronutrient intake in a French HD population, to report factors associated with a low DPI and DEI, and to analyze if nutritional intake was correlated with nutritional status. METHODS: We conducted an observational cross-sectional study in a haemodialysis population of 87 adult patients in July 2014. Daily nutritional oral intake, handgrip strength, body composition measured by bioimpedancemetry, and biological and dialysis parameters were obtained from medical records. Statistical analyses of parameters associated with DEI and DPI were performed. RESULTS: The median age (interquartile range) of the population was 77.3 [71.1; 84.8] years, 57.5% were men, and 52.9% had diabetes mellitus. Median weight-adjusted DEI was 18.4 [15.7;22.3] kcal/kg per day (1308 [1078; 1569] kcal/day), and median weight-adjusted DPI was 0.80 [0.66; 0.96] g/kg per day (57.5 [47.1; 66.8] g/day). In multivariate analysis, weight-adjusted DEI was statistically lower in patients with diabetes (coefficient [95%CI] -3.81[-5.21;-2.41] kcal/kg per day; P = 0.01) but was not associated with the others parameters. When DEI was not adjusted for weight, diabetes was no longer associated with DEI, but female gender (-178[-259;-961] kcal/day; P = 0.03) and a higher Charlson comorbidity index (-30[-44;-15]; P = 0.04) were associated with a lower calorie intake. Results for DPI were similar except that the Charlson comorbidity index did not reach significance. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes is an important factor associated with low dietary intake in haemodialysis patients. Restrictive regimens should be prescribed cautiously in haemodialysis patients, especially in those with diabetes.

The "Dose-Effect" Relationship Between 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Muscle Strength in Hemodialysis Patients Favors a Normal Threshold of 30 ng/mL for Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D.

OBJECTIVE: Muscle strength is weakened in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Strength is both a measure of a functional parameter and of frailty as it is independently associated with mortality. In the general population, observational studies show that plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) is positively correlated with muscle strength and function. We analyzed the determinants of muscle strength measured by handgrip and 25(OH)D in a maintenance hemodialysis population. METHODS: In this observational cross-sectional study, data from all hemodialysis patients from our nephrology department were recorded in July 2014. Daily nutritional oral intake, handgrip strength, body composition measured by bioimpedancemetry analysis, as well as biological and dialysis parameters, were obtained from medical files. We used a linear regression model to assess nutritional, biological, and dialysis parameters as well as body composition associated with handgrip strength. RESULTS: The median age (interquartile range) of the 130 included patients was 77.3 (69.5-84.7) years, 57.7% were men, and 50.8% had diabetes mellitus. Median handgrip strength value (interquartile range) was 14.3 (10.6-22.2) kg. In univariate analyses, the factors associated with handgrip strength were age, gender, albumin, transthyretin, predialysis creatinine and urea, normalized protein nitrogen appearance, lean mass, and muscle mass measured by bioimpedancemetry analysis as well as phase angle, and 25(OH)D. In multivariate analyses, lower age, male gender, higher albumin, higher muscle mass, and 25(OH)D level ≥ 30 ng/mL were independently correlated with muscle strength measured by handgrip. CONCLUSIONS: This study found a positive correlation between plasma 25(OH)D and muscle strength measured by handgrip in hemodialysis patients. We report a "dose-effect" relationship between 25(OH)D and handgrip strength under 30 ng/mL, which is no more present above 30 ng/mL. Prospective randomized studies are needed to prove that supplementation with cholecalciferol, leading to 25(OH)D levels ≥ 30 ng/mL, improves muscle strength in hemodialysis patients.