Protein Supplementation in Dialysis Patients
Protein Supplementation in Dialysis Patients
The mortality rate in chronic hemodialysis (CHD) patients remains excessively high and
 approaches 21% per year. Among the many factors that adversely affects patient outcome is
 uremic malnutrition, a unique form of deranged nutritional status. It is associated with
 increased hospitalization and death risk in CHD patients. Several measures have been
 identified to prevent uremic malnutrition in CHD patients, including efforts to optimize
 dialysis regimen and dietary protein and energy intake. A large number of CHD patients suffer
 from uremic malnutrition in spite of these aggressive measures. The inevitable protein
 catabolic effects of the hemodialysis procedure are important factors leading to increased
 prevalence of uremic malnutrition. Preliminary data suggest that oral nutritional
 supplementation administered during the hemodialysis procedure counteracts these protein
 catabolic effects and leads to net protein anabolism in the acute setting. In this proposal,
 we hypothesize that Pro-Stat, a high nitrogen, enzyme-hydrolyzed, tryptophan-fortified,
 collagen protein supplement will reverse the net protein catabolism observed during
 hemodialysis procedure.
Inclusion criteria:

 -  On hemodialysis for more than 3 months, on a thrice weekly hemodialysis program.

 -  Adequately dialyzed (Kt/V > 1.2).

 -  Age 18-75

 Exclusion criteria:

 -  Pregnant women.

 -  Severe unstable underlying disease besides commonly associated with end stage renal
 disease. Cardiac patients that are stable will be included.

 -  Patients hospitalized within the last month prior to the study.

 -  Patients with malfunctioning arterial-venous access [recirculation and/or blood flow <
 500 ml/min for an arterial-venous graft (AVG) or <400 ml/min for an arterial-venous
 fistula (AVF)] Patients receiving steroids and/or other immunosuppressive agents.