Testa A, Beaud JM, Soulillou JP
Is interdialytic weight gain a nutritional parameter?
Am Soc Nephrol
J Am Soc Nephrol (abstract) (Sep) 7:1527 1996

"Non-compliance" has traditionally been measured in part by assessment of IDWG. Recently, "non-compliant" patients have been shown to have better mortality rates. Higher BUN's, and higher creatinines are associated with longer survival, presumably because these values are surrogates for higher protein catabolic rates (PCR), which the National Cooperative Dialysis Study showed long ago was an important determinant of mortality. IDWG is often thought of as a marker of fluid intake, but since food, like people, is mostly water, food intake correlates with IDWG too and may be the predominant source of IDWG. Higher IDWGs could be associated with improved mortality if protein intake is higher. This benefit would not be expected if the source of the IDWG is higher fluid intake. Similarly, IDWG attributed to sodium intake, with ensuing thirst and fluid intake, in the form of low-protein foods, would not be expected to confer improved mortality.

The authors divided 38 hemodialysis patients with 128 sessions, into 2 groups: group A gained less than 5% of dry body weight between treatments, and group B gained more than 5%. In-line urea monitoring (with Baxter UM 1000) was used to measure urea kinetics. Group B had significantly higher urea removal, Kt/V, pre-dialytic BUN, solute removal index. IDWG was an independent variable that significantly correlated with nPCR. Surprisingly pre-treatment BP did not differ between the 2 groups.

Comment: IDWG is therefore a "nutritional parameter" that correlates positively with PCR. In retrospect this should have been intuitively obvious. As dialysis adequacy improves, appetite improves and PCR rises. IDWG follows. However, before we further remove dietary restrictions (not potassium yet!) we need to consider that perhaps among patients with higher PCRs those with lower IDWG are better off still. No morbidity, mortality or hospitalization data are given here. And no IDWG that's clearly excessive is delineated: one would expect a clinical difference between 6% and 10%, for instance. Before accepting higher IDWGs we need to know that more edema, higher BPs, higher ultrafiltration rates with more hypotension and cramps, and more hospitalizations with unscheduled treatments do not result. And we need to ensure adequated PCRs in dialysis patients. (David S. Goldfarb, M.D., NYU School of Medicine)

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Am Soc Nephrol
CRF by organ system : Nutrition
Basic hemodialysis : Complications (acute)