A groundbreaking study, recently published online in the journal Nutrition, has introduced a novel model for estimating body fat percentage in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Conducted from February to May 2023 at the University Hospital Reina Sofía in Córdoba, Spain, the research aimed to assess the nutritional status of patients during predialysis consultations. This innovative model offers a quick and easy method that eschews the need for bioimpedance analysis, thus providing a practical alternative for healthcare providers.
The study involved 106 patients diagnosed with stage III or IV CKD, comprising 30.5% women and 69.5% men. With a mean body mass index (BMI) of 30.31, participants were selected based on their ability to stand upright for bioimpedance measurement, ensuring consistent data collection. Notably, the study highlighted significant gender differences in body fat percentage, with women exhibiting higher levels than men—37.82% compared to 27.86%.
Furthermore, the study drew attention to notable disparities in waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio between the sexes. These findings underscore the limitation of traditional metrics such as BMI in assessing health risks in CKD patients, suggesting that a more nuanced approach is necessary.
"The findings suggest that traditional measures such as BMI might not be sufficient to assess the risk in this population. Instead, a more comprehensive approach that includes the measurement of total body fat percentage and the distribution of this fat is crucial," the authors stated.
The researchers developed a new model employing anthropometric variables such as waist circumference, height, and sex to predict body fat percentage accurately. This model demonstrated a strong intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.71, indicating its reliability as a predictive tool. By simplifying the process of body fat estimation, this model holds promise for enhancing patient care and nutritional assessment in predialysis settings.
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