Clinical observation of high flux hemodialysis combined with whey protein powder in improving malnutrition and cardiac function of maintenance hemodialysis patients

Objective To investigate the effects of high flux hemodialysis (HFHD) combined with whey protein powder on malnutrition and cardiac function in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.Methods A total of 132 patients given MHD from January 2016 to December 2016 were divided into control group, free diet group and intervention diet group, 44 cases in each group. The serum urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, total protein, serum albumin, serum prealbumin, and hemoglobin of patients in the three group before and 6 months after treatment were measured. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular myocardial weight (LVM) and left ventricular myocardial mass index (LVMI) were measured and compared among the three groups.Results There were no significant differences in biochemical parameters and cardiac functions among the three groups before treatment (P>0.05). After 6 months of treatment, total protein and serum albumin were significantly increased (P<0.05) in the intervention diet group as compared with the control group and the free diet group. As compared with the control group, the LAD, LVDd, LVEF and LVMI in the intervention diet group were significantly improved (P<0.05). As compared with the free dietary group, the LAD, LVDd and LVEF were significantly improved in the intervention diet group.Conclusions HFHD combined with whey protein powder can significantly improve malnutrition and cardiac function in MHD patients, and its effect is better than HFHD or hemodialysis alone.