Multifaceted Nutritional Disorders in Elderly Patients Undergoing Dialysis

Abstract

Advances in medicine have resulted in increased longevity, which has consequently led to unexpected geriatric syndromes, such as frailty and sarcopenia. Patients with end-stage kidney disease, especially those receiving dialysis treatment, often show characteristic reductions in body protein and energy storage, termed protein energy wasting (PEW). Therefore, maintenance of nutritional condition has a key role in defending against both geriatric syndromes and PEW, which share several components in elderly individuals undergoing hemodialysis. To counteract the development of an undesirable condition, nutritional evaluation is indispensable. In addition to simple measurements of body mass index, and serum albumin and creatinine, a composite nutritional assessment including a malnutrition inflammation score is useful, although subjective elements are included and a well-trained examiner is required. On the other hand, the geriatric nutritional risk index and nutritional risk index for Japanese hemodialysis patients (NRI-JH) are objective tools, and easy to use in clinical settings. Undernutrition is closely related to infectious events and the results of an infection are often serious in elderly patients, even those with survival, with large medical costs incurred. Together with appropriate nutritional evaluation, it is necessary to clarify the underlying relationship of PEW with infection for improvement of prognosis in affected elderly individuals.