Prescription meds tied to nutritional status in CKD

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often need to take several prescription medicines concurrently, which in turn appears to worsen nutritional status, a recent study has found.

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 217 CKD patients (mean age 60.4 years, 71 percent men) in whom nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric, functional, and biochemical measurements. Patient records were accessed to determine prescription medication patterns.

On average, patients had been prescribed around nine medications, yielding a total of 216 different treatments being taken by the study sample. Eighty-four percent were positive for polypharmacy, while 37 percent passed the criteria for excessive polypharmacy. Cardiovascular system (94 percent) and alimentary tract and metabolism (84 percent) drugs were the most prescribed classes of medication.

In terms of nutritional status, 62 percent of patients were either overweight or obese, while 48 percent had central obesity. While body mass index was not associated with prescription medications, linear regression analysis revealed an inverse correlation between the number of such drugs and other nutritional indices, including mid-upper arm circumference, skinfold thickness of the triceps, handgrip strength, albumin, and haemoglobin.

Similarly, medications that triggered nausea as a side effect were also inversely associated with the indices of nutritional status.

“These findings suggest that special attention should be paid to the nutritional status of patients with CKD with long medication lists,” the researchers said. Future studies should elucidate the mechanisms underpinning these associations.