Changes in Weight and Lipid Concentrations during CAPD Treatment

Abstract

In a group of 51 non-diabetic patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) for at least six months, changes in weight were ana lysed during a follow-up period of 36 months. Most patients gained weight during CAPD and for the whole patient group a significantly positive trend was observed. However, in most patients weight stabilized around the ideal weight. An undesirable large gain in body weight was only observed in a subgroup of patients with substantially overweight at the start of CAPD. Weight gain correlated positively with the total caloric intake but not with 24 h glucose absorption or daily dietary intake alone. In 34 of these patients, the concentrations of total plasma cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and total plasma triglycerides were determined before treatment and at six months intervals during CAPD treatment. Total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations increased significantly during the first six months on CAPD. In the whole group of patients the concentrations of total cholesterol and total triglycerides showed a significantly positive trend during a follow-up period to 36 months. The increase was more pronounced in patients with normal concentrations at the start of CAPD than in patients with increased values. HDLcholesterol decreased significantly only in the group of patients with initially normal values. For the patient group as a whole no significant trend in HDLcholesterol concentrations was observed. Total cholesterol correlated positively with weight gain, but no relationship between triglyceride concentrations and weight gain was found. The clearance capacity for triglycerides, tested by IVFTT , did not show a consistent change during CAPD treatment. We conclude that CAPD patients usually have a limited deterioration of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and total triglyceride concentrations. An unacceptable weight gain was seen in only a few patients.