Nutritional Status Evaluation and Intervention in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: Practical Approach

Malnutrition is a common and serious complication in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), significantly impacting morbidity, mortality, and health-related quality of life. Recognizing the close association between nutritional status and clinical outcomes, recent clinical practice guidelines have emphasized proactive nutritional assessment and individualized intervention as key components of CKD management. Accurate nutritional assessment remains challenging in CKD patients due to fluid shifts, altered body composition, and laboratory variability. While various nutritional assessment tools are available, their interpretation requires careful consideration due to each tool’s characteristics and patient’s CKD stage. Nutritional interventions must be tailored to the patient’s CKD stage, dialysis status, and comorbidity profile. Strategies include individualized dietary counseling and oral nutritional supplements. Also, patient education and multidisciplinary collaboration—particularly involving nephrologists and renal dietitians—are essential to improving adherence and long-term outcomes. This review focuses on evaluating the nutritional status and intervention of CKD patients, highlighting key aspects based on the latest literature and clinical guidelines.