Kaewput, Wisit

Background/Objectives: The study aimed to investigate whether malnutrition influences the obesity paradox and to explore the relationship between obesity with/without malnutrition and in-hospital outcomes among hospitalized ESKD patients. Methods: The study used the National Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2021. Hospitalized ESKD patients were included and categorized into three groups: non-obese, obese without malnutrition, and obese with malnutrition. The association between obesity with/without malnutrition and in-hospital outcomes, compared to non-obese patients, were analyzed. Results: Of 674,367 hospitalized ESKD patients included, 125,978 (18.7%) had obesity. Obese ESKD patients without malnutrition were associated with a decreased risk of mortality (odd ratio [OR] 0.87, 95% CI 0.84–0.91), whereas obese patients with malnutrition were associated with an increased risk of mortality (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.90–2.27), compared to non-obese patients. Furthermore, obesity, with or without malnutrition, was linked to higher infection-related complications and resource utilization, especially when malnutrition was present. Conclusions: Our findings show that obesity is significantly associated with lower in-hospital mortality among ESKD patients without malnutrition. However, when malnutrition coexists, this survival advantage is reversed, underscoring the importance of detecting malnutrition in obese ESKD patients.

We appreciate Dr Akcay's insightful comments. His observations provide valuable context and highlight important considerations for future research. We hope our work will serve as a foundation for further investigation into sex-associated risks in peritoneal dialysis and contribute to optimizing high-quality patient care for all individuals. Looking ahead, future studies should integrate dialysis-specific measures, explore mechanistic pathways, and incorporate patient-centered outcomes to better characterize sex-associated differences in peritoneal dialysis.

Background Sex-based differences may influence the clinical management, complication risks, and healthcare resource utilization of hospitalized end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). Understanding these disparities is essential for optimizing patient care and informing healthcare policy. Methods This study was conducted using the National Inpatient Sample to identify hospitalized adult ESKD patients receiving PD from the year 2003 to 2018. The outcomes included 1) PD-related outcomes, defined as a composite of peritonitis, mechanical complications, catheter removal or revision, and adequacy issues, 2) non-PD-related outcomes, defined as a composite of sepsis, cardiac arrest, and need for mechanical ventilation 3) transfer to hemodialysis, and 4) in-hospital mortality. The associations between sex and in-hospital outcomes were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression and were adjusted for demographic factors, comorbidities, primary diagnoses, admission types, and hospital characteristics. Discharge weights were applied to generate nationally representative estimates. Results Of 97,036 hospitalized ESKD patients receiving PD analyzed, 48,906 (50.4%) were females. In adjusted analyses, there were no overall sex differences in PD-related outcomes, non-PD-related outcomes, or in-hospital mortality. However, age- and comorbidity-based variations were observed in PD-related outcomes. Female sex was associated with lower odds of transfer to hemodialysis, particularly among younger patients and those without heart failure or peripheral vascular disease. Notably, sex differences in in-hospital mortality were observed only among patients with elective admissions. Conclusion There were sex-based disparities in the outcomes and healthcare utilization of hospitalized ESKD patients receiving PD. These findings underscore the need for sex-specific, individualized strategies to improve PD care and inform clinical and policy decisions.

Background/Objectives: Malnutrition is a prevalent yet under-recognized condition in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), contributing to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and trends of malnutrition and investigate the impact of malnutrition on in-hospital outcomes, treatments, and resource utilization in hospitalized patients with advanced CKD. Methods: This study utilized the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to identify hospitalized patients with advanced CKD from 2016 to 2021. This study investigated temporal trends in the prevalence and in-hospital mortality across different degrees of malnutrition in advanced CKD patients. Multivariable regression models were used to assess the association between malnutrition and in-hospital outcomes. Results: Out of 1,244,415 advanced CKD patients, 67,587 (5.4%) had mild to moderate malnutrition, and 63,785 (5.1%) had severe malnutrition. Malnourished patients exhibited significantly higher in-hospital mortality, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.70 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.64–1.75) for mild to moderate cases and 2.67 (95% CI, 2.60–2.75) for severe cases. Severely malnourished patients were associated with longer mean hospital stay by 7.0 days and higher hospitalization costs by $97,767 compared with non-malnourished patients. The prevalence of severe malnutrition showed a significant uptrend from 4.2% in 2016 to 5.5% in 2021 (p for trend < 0.001). Conclusions: Malnutrition in advanced CKD is an increasingly prevalent condition linked to worsened in-hospital outcomes and heightened healthcare resource utilization. The rising trend of severe malnutrition underscores the need for early nutritional screening and the need for future interventional studies to mitigate adverse clinical outcomes in this high-risk population.