Comparison of Nutrition Profile and Diet Record Between Veteran and Nonveteran End-Stage Renal Disease Patients Receiving Hemodialysis in Veterans Affairs and Community Clinics in Metropolitan South-Central Texas

Sue E.D. Cunningham, Darlene Verkaik, Georgiana Gross, Khalid Khazim, Padam Hirachan, Gurav Agarwal, Carlos Lorenzo, Elena Matteucci, Shweta Bansal, Paolo Fanti

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: U.S. military veterans have high rates of chronic disease and social disadvantage, which are risk factors for protein-energy wasting (PEW). It is not known whether this translates into high prevalence of PEW in veterans with end-stage renal disease. Methods: We compared the clinical, socioeconomic, and nutrition status and the diet of 33 veteran and 38 nonveteran clinically stable patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) in south-central Texas. Results: The whole cohort included 82% Mexican Americans (MAs), 72% type 2 diabetics, and 73% males. The body mass index was 28.9 ± 6.2, while energy intake was 21.5 ± 8.2 kcal/kg/d and protein intake was 1.0 ± 0.4 g/kg/d. Serum albumin (bromocresol purple) was 3.5 ± 0.4 g/dL, transferrin was 171.9 ± 27.8 mg/d, C-reactive protein was 2.9 (1.4-6.5) mg/L, interleukin-6 (IL-6) was 8.3 (4.2-17.9) pg/mL, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin was 729 (552-1256) ng/mL, and the malnutrition-inflammation score was 8.8 ± 3.0. In group comparison that adjusted for sex and ethnicity, the veterans had better household income, less MAs (60% vs 100%), more males (94% vs 55%), more use of a renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade (66% vs 33%), and lower IL-6 levels (4.4 [3.1-5.8] vs 15.4 [8.3-20.5] pg/mL; P =.01) than nonveterans. In regression analysis, the lower serum IL-6 level in veterans was independently explained by dialysis clinic, sex, and, possibly, household income (intermediate significance). Conclusion: In a relatively small cohort of clinically stable MHD patients, the veterans showed equivalent nutrition status and dietary intake and less inflammation than the nonveterans, thus not supporting the possibility that veteran MHD patients may have worse nutrition than the nonveteran counterpart.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)698-708
Number of pages11
JournalNutrition in Clinical Practice
Volume30
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 8 Oct 2015
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

Funding

This work was supported by grants to PF from NIH-NCCAM (AT004490) and from the Veterans Administration (Merit Review 1I01CX000264) and by the CTSA program award to UTHSCSA (NIH-NCATS 1UL TR001120).

FundersFunder number
NIH-NCATS1UL TR001120
NIH-NCCAMAT004490
National Institutes of HealthR21AT004490
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs1I01CX000264
National Center for Advancing Translational SciencesUL1TR001120
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

    Keywords

    • diabetes mellitus
    • ethnic groups
    • healthcare disparities
    • inflammation
    • socioeconomic factors
    • wasting syndrome

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