Family history of chronic renal failure is associated with malnutrition in Korean hemodialysis patients

The present study was to investigate the nutritional status and factors related to malnutrition in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients requiring hemodialysis (HD) in South Korea. Subjects were ESRD outpatients from general hospitals or HD centers in Seoul referred to the dialysis clinic for maintenance HD care. A total of 110 patients (46 men and 64 women; mean ages 58.6 +/- 1.0 y) were eligible for this study. The family history of chronic renal failure (CRF) was considered positive if a patient reported having either a first-degree or second-degree relative with CRF. Malnutrition was defined as a triceps skinfold thickness or mid-arm muscle circumference below the fifth percentile for age and sex and forty-seven of the 110 patients were malnourished. Almost all (94%) patients had anemia (hemoglobin: <13 g/dL for men and <12 g/dL for women). Energy intake was below the recommended intake levels of energy [30-35 kcal/kg ideal body weight (IBW)] and protein (1.2 g/kg IBW) in 60% of patients. The duration of HD was longer in malnourished HD patients (P=0.0095). Malnutrition was more prevalent in women (P=0.0014), those who never smoked (P=0.0007), nondiabetic patients (P=0.0113), and patients with bone diseases (P=0.0427), adequate HD (spKt/V>/=1.2) (P=0.0178), and those with a family history of CRF (P=0.0255). Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between malnutrition and potential risk factors. After adjusting for age, sex, and other putative risk factors for malnutrition, the OR for malnutrition was greater in HD patients with a family history of CRF (OR, 3.290; 95% CI, 1.003-10.793). Active nutrition monitoring is needed to improve the nutritional status of HD patients. A family history of CRF may be an independent risk factor for malnutrition in Korean HD patients. A follow-up study is needed to investigate whether there is a causal relationship between a family history of CRF and malnutrition in Korean ESRD patients.