Nutritional and Anthropometric Assessment of Patients on CAPD over One Year: Contrasting Changes in Total Body Nitrogen and Potassium

Serial dietary, biochemical, total body nitrogen and potassium, anthropometric and immunological assessments were performed on 13 CAPD patients during their first year on CAPD. Their dietary protein and calorie intakes declined from 1.46 g/ kg to 1.06 g/kg, and 36.5 Kcal/kg to 28.9 Kcal/kg respectively (p < 0.01). This decline was associated with a fall in total body nitrogen from 1768 g to 1498 g (p < 0.01) without significant changes in muscle mass or total body fat as assessed anthropometrically, and an actual increase in body weight -from 61.5 kg to 66.7 kg (p < 0.001) and increase in total body potassium