Twenty-three nondiabetic end-stage renal failure patients on hemodialy
sis were studied for adequacy of dialysis and nutritional status. Midw
eek predialysis blood urea nitrogen was 27.1+/-6.4 mmol/l of urea. KT/
V, according to urea kinetic modelling, was 1.21+/-0.22 and mean norma
lized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) was 1.1 5+/-0.23 g/kg/day. Only 1
patient had a KT/V less than 1 and 4 patients had an nPCR less than 1
g/kg/day. No correlation was found between the different nutritional p
arameters. All patients had normal serum albumin. However, some of the
patients could be classified as severely malnourished when parameters
such as body weight (2 patients), triceps skinfold (5) and total lymp
hocyte count (3) were taken into account. No correlation was found bet
ween adequacy of dialysis and the different nutritional parameters. Fu
rthermore, when patients were divided into low and normal KT/V, no dif
ferences were found in their nPCR. We conclude that a global assessmen
t of the nutritional status is required in hemodialysis patients, and
at least in patients with an acceptable KT/V, nPCR is not dependent on
the adequacy of dialysis.