Is CAPD a renal replacement therapy method of choice for women?

The aim of this study was to evaluate if there were any differences in clinical outcome as well as in values of quantitative adequacy/nutritional parameters in ESRD patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, depending on their sex. Nutritional and adequacy parameters: NPCR, Kt/V, weekly creatinine clearance (wClCr), dialysis index (DI), serum albumin concentration, as well as clinical parameters such as hospitalization rate, admission rate, peritonitis rate, exit-site infection rate and co-morbidity score were evaluated in 31 CAPD patients (12 F and 19 M). Lower comorbidity score (0.583 vs. 1.58 points; p < 0.05) and higher Kt/V total and residual (2.25 vs. 1.57; p < 0.01 and 1.7 vs. 1.42; p < 0.01, respectively) were found in women as compared to men. The value of the quantitative nutritional parameter--NPCR--was also higher in women (0.842 vs. 0.73 g/kg b.w./24 hours; p < 0.05). Despite these differences, only a small difference was found in the clinical outcome and survival between men and women. The obtained data may suggest that women can achieve better treatment results with the CAPD method as compared to men.