Malnutrition, inflammation and other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis

Objective This study aimed to identify the occurrence of malnutrition, inflammation and other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Methods This is a cross-sectional study comprising 61 patients from two dialysis units in Salvador (Bahia, Brazil). Nutritional status was determined by the global subjective assessment and inflammation by the ultra sensitive c-reactive protein levels. Traditional risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as gender, age, consumption of alcoholic beverages, smoking, inactivity, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and food habits, as well as non-traditional factors such as disturbed calcium and phosphorus metabolism and anemia, were investigated. Results Malnutrition was found in 36.0% of the patients in the population under study whereas inflammation was present in 49.2% of them. Patients with both malnutrition and inflammation were shown to comprise 21.3% of the sample. Ultra sensitive c-reactive protein levels were found to be higher (p=0.04) in malnourished patients than in those with good nutritional status. High rates of other risk factors for cardiovascular disease were also observed in this population. Conclusion Malnutrition and inflammation are still common among patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Ultra sensitive c-reactive protein levels were found to be higher among malnourished patients than in well-nourished patients. Many of the risk factors found in the studied population are treatable.