Nutritional status and risk of death in maintenance haemodialysis patients can be assessed by means of electrical body impedance analysis

Abstract

Malnutrition is a major determinant of long-term outcome of maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients. Severe malnutrition is accompanied by alterations in body weight and body mass index (BMI). However, the major limitations of BMI are its poor sensitivity and the inability to indicate which compartments are affected by malnutrition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of electrical body impedance measurement (BIA) to indicate alterations in the different body compartments and in body fluids in MHD patients, and to predict clinical outcome of patients. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.