| [ Summary ] |
Serum albumin and transthyretin are used as biomarkers to assess the nutritional status of dialysis patients. However, due to the influence of existing inflammation and liver damage, there is a possibility that these biomarkers may inadequately reflect nutritional states. Recently, some studies have been conducted to verify malnourished states of dialysis patients by scoring and summing up various nutritional parameters. The geriatric nutritional risk index is easy to use when assessing these factors, and is superior for screening early stage malnutrition in hemodialysis patients. However, recent studies have demonstrated that novel biochemical biomarkers are useful in predicting protein-energy wasting (PEW) in dialysis patients. Further studies will be needed to establish new nutritional methods which will enable us to determine the cause of PEW. |