The association between geriatric nutritional risk index variability and mortality in peritoneal dialysis patients

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study is to examine the association between the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and overall mortality in this population.

Methods: GNRI values were calculated by using the serum albumin levels and body weight and the GNRI variability reflects the changes in GNRI change slopes in the follow-up.

Results: GNRI values showed a decrease from the median baseline GNRI of 106.3 (IQR, 95.0,113.4) to 98.4 (interquartile range [IQR], 91.9108.9) (p < 0.001). The median GNRI variability was 4.7 (IQR, 2.5, 10.3). Both baseline GNRI levels (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93, 0.99, p = 0.04) and more profoundly GNRI variability (adjusted OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.44, p = 0.03) were independently associated with mortality.

Conclusion: The monitorization of the changes in GNRI values as a variability index is an easy tool that might improve the predictive accuracy of mortality in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Keywords: geriatric nutritional risk index; mortality; peritoneal dialysis; protein-energy wasting.