In spite of better treatment, a big percentage of patients with maintenance hemodialysis or MHD die each year in United States. According to a new study, this increase in mortality rate can be due to malnutrition. However, another report proves that obesity is good for patients with MHD because it is associated with increased chance of survival.
Telling more deeply about this ‘obesity paradox’ Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh M.D., who is author of the study says:
A larger body fat mass as seen in obesity probably represents protective reserves that may mitigate the adverse effects of malnutrition in patients.
Patients with MHD have normally been found with a high degree of protein-energy malnutrition and inflammation and experts believe that confluence of these two conditions, which is known as Kidney Disease Wasting or KDW turns a patient more susceptible to death. However, increase in protein intake higher up the chances of patient’s survival.
Image credit: Stnicholashospital
Via: Science Daily
