Prevalence and Risk Factors for Sarcopenia in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Undergoing Dialysis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and sarcopenia are major public health problems. Dialysis patients have an increased risk of developing sarcopenia, a syndrome associated with increased risk of disability, poor quality of life, and hospitalization. The aim of this work is to investigate the risk factors associated with sarcopenia in a cohort of patients requiring dialysis, to try to prevent the onset of sarcopenia in these patients already frail by their disease.
Methods: Seventy-seven CKD patients receiving dialysis (62.7 ± 13.8 years old; 64.1% males) were enrolled. Body composition was evaluated through a whole-body DXA scan according to the diagnostic criteria suggested by the EWGSOP (European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People) for appendicular muscle mass. The strength of the association between factors included and the presence of sarcopenia was assessed by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs using conditional logistic regression.
Results: The prevalence of sarcopenia was 53.1% (95% CI: 42.2-64.0). In the multivariate analysis, male gender (OR = 9.28; 95% CI: 1.81-47.49; P = .008) and low BMI (OR = 19.89; 95% CI: 4.37-90.10; P < .0001) were significantly associated with sarcopenia.
Conclusion: Our study confirms the high prevalence of sarcopenia in dialysis patients. Among the investigated factors, sarcopenia is negatively associated with male gender and low BMI. This result highlights the importance of a correct diet in CKD patients in order to maintain BMI in the normal range. In this context, DXA plays an important role in diagnosis of sarcopenia, and also in follow-up, giving the possibility to follow the evolution of the disease and allow adjustments in the therapy.
Cite this article as: Mattera M, Veronese N, Aucella F, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for sarcopenia in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing dialysis: A cross-sectional study. Turk J Nephrol. 2021; 30(4): 294-299.