Is bioimpedance method sufficient in evaluating the nutritional status of patients receiving hemodialysis treatment?

Aim: The purpose of this study was to test validity of bioelectrical impedance (BIA) analysis in the nutritional assessment among patients with hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: This study which was cross sectional was conducted with 166 patients with hemodialysis at the hemodialysis units in two state hospital and a private hospital. The data were collected by means of patient information form, Malnutrıtıon Inflammatıon Score (MIS) and Body Composition Analyzer. Descriptive, t test, Mann-Whitney U, chi-square, Wilcoxon, ROC analysis and logistic regresyon analysis were used in statistical analysis. Results: The average ages of patients were 51.57±13.01 (21-66) years. Of the patients, 53.6% were male. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.4±4.98 kg/m2 of whom (%54.8) were well-nourished. Male patients had higher albumin, muscule mass, and BMI than female patients and these values were statistical difference in according to gender. A significant difference was found to hemoglobin, albümin, iron binding, tanita fat ratio, fat mass, and BMI between the well-nourished and malnourished patients. The findings of Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was shown to identify the most suitable BIA parameters for predicting presence of malnutrition. Conclusion: The results of study indicated that bioelectrical impedance analysis was a valid method of nutritional assessment in patients with hemodialysis.