BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze changes in kidney function and its correlation with nutritional metabolism indicators in hospitalized elderly patients in a large medical center over the past 7 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The renal function of patients over 60 years old in the Chinese PLA General Hospital in 2008, 2011, and 2014 were comparatively analyzed. The hemoglobin, serum albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, uric acid, and urea nitrogen data were collected and used as the nutritional metabolism indicators. In addition, the correlation between these indicators and the eGFR was analyzed.

RESULTS: The numbers of patients who received kidney function assessments in the 3 years were 15 752, 23 539, and 49 828; their mean ages were 69.97±6.99, 69.51±7.11, and 69.45±7.74 years. The median values of serum creatinine were 75.4, 76.5, and 77.5 μmol/L in the men and 59.6, 60.7, and 62.1 μmol/L in the women. The eGFR in both sexes demonstrated a gradual decreasing trend over the 3 years. According to the CKD staging method, analysis of the different percentages of eGFR intervals in the patients showed that the percentages of the 3 groups with an eGFR lower than 60 mL/min/1.73 m² exhibited a rising trend annually. Correlational analysis of the nutritional indicators showed that the correlations between Hb, ALB, TG, TC, Ur, and BUN with an eGFR lower than 60 mL/min/1.73 m² were 0.582, 0.780, 1.219, 1.364, 2.180, and 3.677, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Serum creatinine showed a gradually increasing trend over the 3 study years. The CKD-EPI equation calculation results showed that the eGFR in elderly people of both sexes gradually decreased. Reduction of hemoglobin and albumin was a risk factor for decreased kidney function, while increases in uric acid and blood lipids affected the progression of renal insufficiency.

Keywords: Glomerular Filtration Rate, Nutritional Status, Renal Insufficiency, Chronic