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Appetite in chronic hemodialysis patients: a longitudinal study
Maurizio Bossola1, Stefania Giungi, Giovanna Luciani
1Hemodialysis Unit, Department of Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy. maubosso@tin.it
Summary
Appetite in hemodialysis (HD) patients can be consistently good or poor, or fluctuate. Fluctuating appetite trends in HD patients are linked to older age, increased comorbidities, and higher hospitalization rates.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Clinical Nutrition
- Patient Outcomes
Background:
- Appetite behavior and its determinants in hemodialysis (HD) patients remain largely uncharacterized.
- Understanding appetite trends is crucial for managing nutritional status and overall health in HD populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally assess appetite patterns in prevalent hemodialysis patients.
- To identify factors associated with distinct appetite trajectories over time.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study involving 54 prevalent hemodialysis patients.
- Assessment of appetite, nutritional status, inflammation, and comorbidities at baseline and 5 months.
- Categorization of patients based on appetite trends over the study period.
Main Results:
- Five appetite groups were identified: consistently good, good/fair, fair/poor, consistently poor, and variable. These were consolidated into three groups for analysis.
- Patients with consistently poor or variable appetite (Groups 2 and 3) were older and had significantly more comorbidities.
- These groups also exhibited a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index and increased hospitalization rates compared to those with consistently good appetite (Group 1).
Conclusions:
- Hemodialysis patients exhibit diverse appetite patterns, including stable good, stable poor, and fluctuating trends.
- Fluctuating appetite is significantly associated with advanced age, a higher burden of comorbidities, and increased healthcare utilization, including hospitalizations.
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