Nutritional Predictors of Mortality after 10 Years of Follow-Up in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease at a Multidisciplinary Unit of Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

Nutritional monitoring in advanced chronic kidney disease (ACKD) units provides personalized care and improves clinical outcomes. This study aimed to identify mortality risk factors in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on nutritional follow-up in the multidisciplinary ACKD unit. A retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 307 CKD patients’ stage 3b, 4–5 followed-up for 10 years. Clinical and nutritional monitoring was performed by malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS), biochemical parameters (s-albumin, s-prealbumin, and serum C-reactive protein (s-CRP), body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), anthropometry, and handgrip strength measurements. The sample was classified into non-survivors, survivors, and censored groups. Of the 307 CKD patients, the prevalence of protein-energy wasting (PEW) was 27.0% using MIS > 5 points, s-CRP > 1 mg/dL was 19.20%, and 27.18% died. Survivors had higher significant body cell mass (BCM%) and phase angle (PA). Survival analyses significantly showed that age > 72 years, MIS > 5 points, s-prealbumin ≤ 30 mg/dL, PA ≤ 4°, and gender-adjusted handgrip strength (HGS) were associated with an increased risk of mortality. By univariate and multivariate Cox regression, time on follow-up (HR:0.97), s-prealbumin (HR:0.94), and right handgrip strength (HR:0.96) were independent predictors of mortality risk at 10 years of follow-up in the ACKD unit. Nutritional monitoring in patients with stage 3b, 4–5 CKD helps to identify and treat nutritional risk early and improve adverse mortality prognosis.