Obesity in Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

Obesity is a cardiovascular risk factor in the general population. However, obesity on hemodialysis is associated with better survival. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of obesity in our chronic hemodialysis population and to specify the different cardiovascular complications. It is a cross-sectional study with 120 patients older than 18 years on hemodialysis. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference > 94 cm in men and > 80 cm in women. The following were analyzed: socioeconomic and demographic parameters, lifestyle, initial renal disease, duration of hemodialysis, food consumption and body mass index (BMI), biological parameters (C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, lipid profiles, serum calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone), comorbidities: Diabetes, hypertension, stroke, coronary artery disease. Twenty-four patients had a BMI> 25. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 20%. The sex Ratio was 0.71. The average age of our patients was 55.97 years [23 - 78 years]. Reduced physical activity was observed in 75% of patients. Duration in hemodialysis was 79 months. Hemoglobin (Hb) average was 8.9 g/dl, serum calcium was 2.25 mmol/l, serum phosphorus was 1.7 mmol/l, parathyroid hormone (PTH) was 412 pg/ml, albuminemia was 30.7 g/l, total cholesterol was 3.75 mmol/l and CRP was 15 U/l. Coronary artery disease was found in 20.8% of cases, stroke in 8.3% of cases, diabetes in 58.33% of cases and hypertension in 75% of cases. There was a high prevalence of abdominal obesity in hemodialysis patients. Obesity is recognized by its association with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. However in the paradoxical epidemiology, obesity becomes in chronic hemodialysis, a protective factor and is associated with better survival. Our study has a small population and cannot reach such a conclusion; further studies with larger numbers are needed to support this concept.