Sum of skinfolds measurement can be used in the estimation of total body fat in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis

Introduction: body fat reflects important clinical impacts among hemodialysis patients; thus, simple and safe methods are required for a careful evaluation of this body compartment. Objectives: to evaluate the concordance of estimates of total body fat percentage (%BF), calculated using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and sum of four skinfolds (SSKD) measures, with those obtained using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving hemodialysis. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in 317 patients undergoing hemodialysis. The %BF was evaluated using BIA, SSKD measurement, and DEXA, and stratified by sex and tertiles. The Wilcoxon test for paired samples was used to compare the %BF obtained using the different methods, and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC-L) to evaluate concordance. Results: the average %BF estimated using DEXA was 29.3 ± 9.3 %, with significant differences among the three methods (p < 0.05). SSKD measurement presented a higher CCC-L concordance with DEXA, regardless of sex. After stratification of the sample in tertiles, BIA presented a higher CCC-L concordance with DEXA among the patients with CKD with a %BF above 34.4 % (third tertile). Conversely, SSKD measurement presented better concordance with DEXA for those with a %BF equal to or less than 34.4 %. Conclusions: in terms of the estimates of the %BF, SSKD measurement displayed a better concordance with DEXA.