Nutritional status of diabetic and nondiabetic patients after renal transplantation

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Abstract
To assess whether there was improvement in the nutritional status of Type I insulin-dependent diabetics treated with renal transplantation as compared with dialysis, 24 diabetics and 21 nondiabetics were studied 22.6 ± 23.8 mo after transplantation. Nutritional assessment included weight, height, triceps skinfold thickness, midarm muscle circumference (MAMC), serum albumin, and transferrin. Mean age of the 28 males and 17 females was 37.1 ± 9.4 yr. Weight of diabetics increased from 55.6 ± 8.4 kg to 61.5 ± 9.5 kg (p < 0.05); weight for height, from 81 ± 8% to 95 ± 9% (p < 0.001); and serum albumin, from 3.8 ± 0.5 gm/dl to 4.3 ± 0.4 gm/dl (p < 0.001). Weight also increased significantly in nondiabetics from 64.5 ± 10.5 kg to 72.1 ± 13.5 kg (p = 0.05); weight for height, from 96 ± 15% to 108 ± 16% (p < 0.05); but not albumin, 4.1 ± 0.7 gm/dl to 4.4 ± 0.6 gm/dl (p > 0.05). Serum transferrin was 210 ± 62 mg/dl in diabetics and 226 ± 52 mg/dl in nondiabetics. Forty-two percent of diabetics and 29% of nondiabetics had a MAMC <5th percentile, indicating protein-calorie malnutrition. Results suggest a significant improvement in nutritional status after transplantation in both diabetics and nondiabetics, but particularly in the diabetic group.