Effect of the correction of metabolic acidosis on nutritional status in elderly patients with chronic renal failure.

Background: Metabolic acidosis (MA) is a frequent complication in advanced chronic renal failure (CRF). Currently, there is good evidence that MA contributes to malnutrition in CRF patients.

Methods: We evaluated the effect of correcting MA on nutritional status after 6 months of oral sodium bicarbonate supplementation in 18 patients aged 73 +/- 6 years with CRF to maintain serum bicarbonate levels at 24 +/- 2 mmol/L.