Fatigue Is Not Associated with Phase Angle in Hemodialysis Patients.

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Physiology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects a significant population, often leading to complications like fatigue.
• Phase angle (PA) is a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameter reflecting cell membrane integrity and hydration status, potentially linked to overall health in CKD patients.
• Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom in patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis (HD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between fatigue and phase angle (PA) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD).
• To explore potential correlations between a key BIA marker and a prevalent symptom in the HD population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 160 adult patients with CKD on HD.
• Bioimpedance electrical analysis was used to measure phase angle (PA), with patients categorized into normal (PA ≥5.4º) and low (PA <5.4º) groups.
• The Chalder fatigue questionnaire assessed fatigue levels, and multiple regression analysis was employed to determine the association with PA, controlling for confounding variables.

Main Results:

• The study included 160 patients (60% male, mean age 58.36±15.05 years).
• Patients with lower phase angle (PA <5.4º) were significantly older (63.1±15.1 years) compared to those with normal PA (53.3±13.4 years, p<0.001).
• No statistically significant association was found between fatigue scores and phase angle (PA) in both crude and adjusted models (p>0.43).

Conclusions:

• In hemodialysis (HD) patients, lower phase angle (PA) is associated with older age.
• This study did not identify a significant association between fatigue and phase angle (PA) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis (HD).
• Further research may be needed to explore other factors contributing to fatigue in this population.