The hemodialysis pilot study: nutrition program and participant characteristics at baseline. The HEMO Study Group

Abstract

Objective: Describe the nutrition program (assessments and interventions) and the participants' baseline nutritional characteristics in the Hemodialysis Pilot Study.

Design: Cross sectional survey in which hemodialysis patients were examined during 10 weeks of baseline (BL), before randomization study interventions (dose and flux).

Setting: Four hemodialysis centers (eight dialysis units in total).

Patients: Twenty-nine male (mean age, 63 years; range, 34 to 75) and 20 female (mean age, 61 years; range, 29 to 73) hemodialysis patients.

Interventions: None during BL.

Main outcome measures: Feasibility of implementing the proposed nutrition program before conducting the full-scale trial, and description of baseline characteristics related to nutrition.

Results: A nutrition program was developed to assess nutritional status during BL and follow-up periods and to intervene in patients with weight loss or decreasing serum albumin. Methods for collecting biochemical, dietary and anthropometric data were implemented at four clinical centers. At baseline, mean protein intake estimated by single pool normalized protein catabolic rate was 0.95 +/- 0.21 gm/kg adjusted body weight (ABW) (n = 42) and by diet record assisted recalls (n = 47) 0.94 +/- 0.36 gm/kg ABW/d, respectively. Mean energy intake was 22.8 +/- 8 kcal/kg ABW/day (n = 39). Mean serum albumin concentration using the bromcresol green method was 3.8 +/- 0.4 gm/dL (n = 40). Mean body mass index was within the normal limits of 19-27 kg/m2. Mean skinfold thicknesses in females, but not males, were shifted toward the lower end of usual distributions for healthy individuals.

Conclusions: The goal of designing, developing, and implementing the diet and nutrition component, and related data collection for the HEMO pilot study was accomplished at four separate clinical centers. Baseline mean protein and energy intake were low, suggesting that continuing dietary surveillance is needed. The ongoing full-scale HEMO study will provide the first prospective analysis of dietary intake, nutritional status, and outcome in maintenance hemodialysis patients as a function of dialysis dose and membrane flux.