Comparison Analysis of Nutritional Scores for Serial Monitoring of Nutritional Status in Hemodialysis Patients

Background and objectives This study aimed to compare the longitudinal performance of the malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS) and the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), two nutritional scores for patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Nutritional scores, dietary intake, biochemical markers, and body composition analysis were performed at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18 months after enrollment (which took place from January through December 2006) on 75 prevalent hemodialysis patients (43% women, mean age 64.8+/-11.9 years). The patients underwent simultaneous MIS and GNRI assessments calculated by two independent examiners from baseline. The study period was 46.8+/-16.4 months. Results GNRI had higher interobserver agreement (weighted kappa-score 0.98) than MIS (weighted kappa-score 0.62). Longitudinally, a 1-unit increase in MIS was associated with a 0.41 kcal/kg per day reduction in daily energy intake (P<0.001) and with a 0.014 g/kg per day reduction in nPNA (P=0.02). GNRI did not correlate with the change over time of dietary intake. Longitudinal changes of both scores were associated with appropriate changes over time in levels of nutritional biomarkers, inflammation (IL-6), and body composition parameters. Both scores expressed significant associations with prospective hospitalization, whereas only MIS was associated with mortality in this cohort. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard ratio was 1.15 for death for each 1-unit increase in the MIS (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.3; P=0.02). Conclusions Both MIS and GNRI are valid tools for longitudinal assessment of hemodialysis patients' nutritional status. MIS has lower interobserver reproducibility than GNRI; however, MIS is more comprehensive than GNRI. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 8: 443-451, 2013. doi: 10.2215/CJN.04980512