Scientific Reports (Feb 2022)

The impact of nutritional status on health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients

  • Lucia Visiedo,
  • Laura Rey,
  • Francisco Rivas,
  • Francisca López,
  • Begoña Tortajada,
  • Rafael Giménez,
  • Jimena Abilés

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07055-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract Malnutrition is frequent in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Nutritional deficiencies may negatively impact quality of life (QOL). This study examines the utility of the Malnutrition-Inflammation Score (MIS) in detecting nutritional risk (NR) and assesses the correlation between nutritional status and QOL in dialysis patients upon starting a nutritional intervention program (NIP). One hundred and twenty patients were included in this cross-sectional study. The MIS was used to detect NR and the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL-SF) instrument version 1.2 was used to assess QOL. 62% of patients were found to be at NR (MIS > 5). Nutritional status was significantly correlated with all generic QOL sub-scales. On a multiple linear regression analysis, malnutrition showed the highest level of explanation in the Kidney Disease Summary Component which explained 28.9% of the variance; the Physical Component Summary which explained 33% of the variance; and the Mental Component Summary which explained 21.5% of the variance. Malnutrition was found to be the most significant predictor of impaired scores on the KDQOL-SF. The use of MIS to identify patients at NR and a nutritional assessment to detect malnutrition in its early stages are important given the effects a NIP can have on improving QOL in HD patients.