Related Experiment Videos
Do dialysis patients need extra folate supplementation?
1Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonja College of Medicine, Korea.
Advances in Peritoneal Dialysis. Conference on Peritoneal Dialysis
|February 22, 2000
Summary
Folate deficiency is surprisingly low in dialysis patients, even without supplementation. Red cell folate levels are essential for assessing folate status before considering supplementation for end-stage renal disease patients.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Clinical Nutrition
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis often have altered nutritional status.
- Folate status is critical for overall health, and supplementation is common, but its necessity in dialysis patients requires evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess folate status in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients.
- To evaluate the necessity of conventional folate supplementation in these patient populations.
Main Methods:
- Radioimmunoassay was used to measure serum folate, vitamin B12, and red cell folate concentrations.
- Thirty-four CAPD patients and 60 HD patients not receiving folate supplements were enrolled.
Main Results:
- CAPD patients had significantly higher serum folate, vitamin B12, and red cell folate levels compared to HD patients.
- Using serum folate cut-offs overestimated folate deficiency (3.0% CAPD vs. 71.7% HD).
- Red cell folate levels indicated a lower incidence of true folate deficiency (0.0% CAPD vs. 10.0% HD).
Conclusions:
- The true incidence of folate deficiency in stable CAPD and HD patients is low.
- The need for routine folate supplementation in dialysis patients should be re-evaluated.
- Measuring red cell folate is crucial to assess folate reserves before initiating supplementation in dialysis patients.