A Longer History of Hemodialysis Can Lead to Sarcopenia in Renal Transplantation Patients

Background

Sarcopenia is a condition in which the amount of skeletal muscle decreases. Recent studies have suggested that sarcopenia is a risk factor for the incidence of postoperative complications, longer hospitalization, and a poorer prognosis. In this study, we examined the impact of sarcopenia in association with a history of hemodialysis in renal transplantation patients.

Methods

A total of 157 patients who underwent renal transplantation at Yokohama City University Medical Center (Yokohama, Japan) from 2005 to 2016 were analyzed in this study. We determined the presence of sarcopenia using the psoas muscle index (PMI). The PMI was calculated based on the left psoas muscle area of L3 (mm²) divided by the square of the body height (m²).

Results

The mean/median length of time that the patients received hemodialysis was 2059/850 days. The PMI in men was significantly higher than that in women (321.9 ± 10.0 vs 226.6 ± 17.3, P < .001). The group with a longer history of hemodialysis (≥851 days) showed a significantly lower PMI than the short-history group (≤850 days) (355.8 ± 15.1 vs 289.7 ± 11.3, P = .001). The PMI showed a negative correlation according to the dialysis period and a positive correlation according to the sex and triglyceride levels.

Conclusions

A longer history of hemodialysis was shown to be associated with a lower PMI in renal transplantation patients. In addition, the higher PMI group showed higher serum triglyceride levels than the lower PMI group.