[Nutritional status of patients with functioning graft assessed by clinical examination, anthropometry and bioimpedance].

Malnutrition is very frequent comorbid factor in chronic renal failure and its prevalence both in the predialysis period as well as on maintenance dialysis is high. The aim of the study was to assess the nutritional status in patients after successful kidney transplantation. 109 patients (47 F, 67 M) of mean age 39.9 +/- 11.5 years were analyzed. Mean time after transplantation surgery was 32.2 +/- 37 months and the maintenance dialysis treatment period prior to transplantation--28.4 +/- 22 months. Nutritional status was assessed with clinical examination based on the SGA scale, anthropometric measurements as well as body composition estimation with bioimpedance. Daily food intake was also monitored with three-day dietary questionnaire. All above analyses were also performed in 25 healthy control subjects with corresponding sex and age distribution. No differences between all analyzed bioimpedance and anthropometry parameters were found between studied patients and controls. 79% of patients were classified as well nourished, 20%--as mildly or moderately malnourished and only 1%--as severely malnourished according to SGA scale. The BMI values less than 21 kg/m2, i.e. suggesting malnutrition were found in 23.3% of patients, whereas values above 25 kg/m2, i.e. suggesting overweight or obesity--in almost 40%. Interestingly, as high as 82.5% of studied patients were characterized by significant weight gain since last "dry weight" assessment on maintenance dialysis up to the time of study (by mean 9.42 +/- 6.9 kg). Obtained results permit us to conclude, that the prevalence of nutritional status abnormalities are relatively frequent among patients with functioning graft. Malnutrition can be demonstrated in more than 20% of the study population, which should be considered however to be markedly lower as compared to most reports regarding dialysis populations. Weight gain during posttransplant period as compared to maintenance dialysis is marked and common; thus the prevalence of obesity is also quite common and reaches 40% of tested patients.