Intra Hemodialytic Oral Protein and Exercise (IHOPE)

Study Summary

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients receiving hemodialysis treatment (CKD stage 5) suffer from a variety of co-morbid diseases, many of which may be mechanistically linked. Protein malnutrition, muscle catabolism and wasting are especially common, and these lead to reduced muscle strength, declines in physical function, and low levels of physical activity. Physical inactivity exacerbates these functional declines, and also promotes cardiovascular disease (CVD) and bone disorders. This cycle of disease and disability greatly reduces quality of life (QOL) and increases mortality rates in dialysis patients. Many factors contribute to the development of these co-morbidities. Chronic inflammation is believed to be a cause and a consequence of the protein malnutrition, CVD and bone disorders in dialysis patients. In addition, abnormalities in mineral metabolism resulting from the deficit in kidney function promote the loss of mineral from bone and the deposition of mineral in the vasculature, a process termed vascular calcification (VC). VC is associated with a variety of CVD-related disorders, including arterial stiffness, increases in arterial wall intima-media thickness (IMT), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and declines in cardiac function. As a result of these abnormalities, cardiovascular events are 10 to 30 times greater in dialysis patients than in age- and sex-matched subjects in the general population.

Primary Outcome

Physical function, as assessed by a shuttle walk test, will improve in PRO+EX and PRO, compared to CON, and the magnitude of improvements will be greatest in PRO+EX. In secondary analyses, we also will examine the effects of our interventions on other variables related to physical function, including lean body mass, muscle strength, and activities of daily living (ADL) assessments.

Interventions

• DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT Control
• DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT Protein
• BEHAVIORAL Protein + Exercise