Nutrition and Dialysis: Dangerous Dance

Malnutrition is a silent enemy for patients on hemodialysis. A study in Palestine set out to figure out what boosts the risk of malnutrition in these patients. They chatted with 188 people getting hemodialysis at a hospital in Nablus, asking about their life, health, and diet. One in four were malnourished. Being female, unemployed, or a nonsmoker raised the odds. So did having heart disease, using a catheter for dialysis, and not getting enough calories. Patients who struggled with daily tasks, like walking or eating alone, were also more likely to be malnourished. Blood tests showed that low levels of albumin, iron, and other nutrients mattered too. The longer patients were on dialysis, the worse it got. Experts say we need to tackle these factors head-on to keep dialysis patients healthier.