Correlations among lean tissue index, physical activity, clinical parameters, diet quality, and nutritional status in patients receiving haemodialyses

Introduction: Poor diet quality and malnutrition accelerate protein and energy depletion. This can result in a diminished lean tissue index (LTI) and an inability to perform daily activities, both of which increase the risk of falls and affect the quality of life. Objective: This study investigated the correlations among LTI, physical activity (PA), clinical parameters, diet quality, and nutritional status. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed. Participants in stable conditions receiving haemodialyses were enroled. LTI was measured using a body composition monitor. Three-day dietary records and demographic and clinical parameters were collected. Results: In total, 104 patients receiving haemodialyses were recruited (53.8% men, aged 57.7 +/- 11.78 years; dialysis duration, 7.3 +/- 6.04 years). LTI was not associated with diet quality; LTI was positively correlated with sex and negatively correlated with age, dialysis duration, and fat tissue index (FTI); and lean tissue index was positively correlated with PA. Among patients with a normal LTI, the odds ratio for low-FTI was 31.04 times higher than that for high-FTI. In total, 80.8% of the participants had poor diet quality, which was mainly attributed to their excessive intake of saturated fatty acids and insufficient fruit intake. Conclusions: Although diet quality was unrelated to the LTI, the results indicated that most patients receiving haemodialyses had poor diet quality. Therefore, this topic merits further investigation.