Normalization of protein catabolic rate to a new body weight derived from lean body mass in dialysis patients

Background: Since dietary protein is required for replenishment of lean body mass and since dialysis patients may have a significant increase in body fat, it makes sense to express protein intake normalized per lean body mass. However, this may be complicated since the daily protein requirements of man, based on studies done in the past with normal subjects, are usually expressed in grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Patients and methods: We analyzed our data on urea and creatinine kinetics obtained in the routine clinical care of our peritoneal dialysis patients and calculated lean body mass from creatinine appearance rate. Using: this lean body mass, we then reconfigured the patients' body to match the same proportion of lean body mass as in reference young men in which the initial recommendations for normal intake of protein were made. Results and conclusion: We believe that this new theoretical body weight obtained by assuming that lean body mass always represents 85% of it may provide a more rational way to normalize daily protein intake.