Benefits of a dietary intervention on weight loss, body composition, and lipid profile after renal transplantation

The nutritional status of a group of 23 renal transplanted patients with a body mass index >27, hyperlipidemia, and stable renal function were studied before and after 6 mo of dietary intervention with the American Heart Association (AHA) Step One pattern. The dietary records showed that the intake of total fat decreased from 42.2 ± 5.5 to 33.0 ± 4.2% (P < 0.001) and the intake of saturated fat decreased from 12.8 ± 1.8 to 9.2 ± 3.1% (P < 0.01) of total calories. The cholesterol intake fell from 352 ± 10 to 221 ± 12 mg/d. The mean weight loss was 3.2 ± 2.9 kg (P < 0.001), followed by a significant decrease in mean body fat mass (%) measured by triceps skinfold (34.2 ± 3.3 versus 32.9 ± 3.7; P < 0.05), bioelectrical impedance (30.8 ± 5.7 versus 26.5 ± 5.9; P < 0.001), and infrared interactance (37.5 ± 6.3 versus 34.7 ± 5.5; P < 0.01). After the dietary intervention, lipid profile improved in all patients, with a decrease in the mean total cholesterol (237 ± 32 versus 224 ± 36 mg/dL; P < 0.05), which was higher in males. Also, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was reduced in male patients (156 ± 19 versus 136 ± 11 mg/dL, P < 0.05), whereas in females low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels remained unaltered. The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triacylglycerol values were not affected in both males and females by the dietary treatment. The reduction in serum cholesterol was inversely correlated with the initial values of triceps skinfold (r = 0.52, P < 0.01) and was lower in patients with a body mass index > 30 (5.7 versus 2.8%; NS). It is concluded that the obesity and hyperlipidemia following renal transplantation may be improved by dietary intervention and subsequent weight loss.