Protein losses in dialysis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Re-examining nutrition in dialysis patients: nutritional losses and the role of supplementation (part 1)
IRAS ID
320440
Contact name
Nicholas Selby
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Nottingham - Research and innovation
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
When a patient has dialysis some nutrients are lost in the process. Nutritional losses include protein, trace elements (i.e. zinc, copper and selenium) and water-soluble vitamins (Vitamins C and B). These nutrients are essential for normal body function, including a good immune system and nutritional status. For example, on average the protein losses during a dialysis session (the process where the blood is cleaned via a machine and special fluid) is equal to 6g of protein/day (which is the equivalent of the amount of protein in 1 egg). Protein needs for the general population are 0.8g protein per kg of body weight. Because people on dialysis lose protein via the dialysis, it is thought that these people need to eat more protein (however the research is old and very weak).
Dialysis treatments have changed over the past 40 years, and we do not know if these nutritional losses are important to how well people do on dialysis and if they have any effect on survival. Previous research is mostly limited to haemodialysis (a type on dialysis that require a machine which cleans the patients’ bloods via special filters) and peritoneal dialysis (this is a type of dialysis which happen via the patients’ tummy). There is no research on the nutritional losses in home HD and nocturnal HD. Our research will measure nitrogen nutritional losses in all types of dialysis modalities and will use stable nitrogen isotope with the aim to measure nitrogen balance in these patient. This represent phase 1 of a feasibility study. Phase two will investigate if a higher protein provision leads to improved survival and outcomes in patients receiving dialysis.REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/EM/0088
Date of REC Opinion
29 Apr 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion