Abstract: Objective To investigate the nutritional status and body composition in maintenance hemodialysis(MHD) patients, and to explore the factors affecting the body composition. Methods A total of 123 MHD patients completed the body composition analyses by body composition monitoring (BCM), and nutritional assessment by biochemical and anthropometric measurements. Results Malnutrition was defined in 36.6% patients by prealbumin level. A significant difference Significant difference in lean tissue index (LTI) was noted between malnutrition group and well-nourished group, with lower LTI (11.598±2.700 vs. 12.958±2.531, t=- 2.801, P=0.006) in patients in malnutrition group. Higher hypersensitive C- reactive protein (hs-CRP) was identified as an independent risk factor for lower LTI (OR=2.431, 95% CI 1.136～5.201, P=0.022),while handgrip strength was found to be a protective factor for LTI (OR=0.219, 95% CI 0.097～0.497, P＜0.001) in MHD patients. Conclusion Malnutrition patients tended to have lower lean tissue mass accompanied by higher inflammation markers. Handgrip strength could be used to monitor muscle mass in MHD patients.

Key words: Hemodialysis, Body composition, Nutrition, Lean tissue, Fat tissue