Clinical outcome of daily dialysis

Dialysis patients are prone to malnutrition, which may be counteracted by daily home hemodialysis (DHHD, 6 times a week) due to improved clinical outcome and quality of life. Eleven patients were treated with DHHD during 18 months, after a run-in period with three dialysis sessions a week. The total weekly dialysis dose was kept constant during the first 6 months of DHHD, whereupon it was allowed to increase. KT/V was 3.1 +/- 0.5 at baseline, 3.2 +/- 0.5 after 6 months and 4.0 +/- 0.8 at 18 months. Blood pressure decreased from 142 +/- 19/83 +/- 8 to 130 +/- 25/79 +/- 9 mmHg with a more than 50% reduction in antihypertensive medication. Potassium did not change, but potassium binding resins could be stopped almost completely. Bicarbonate increased from 20.6 +/- 3.3 to 23.1 +/- 2.6 mEq/L after 18 months. Patients with a protein intake of less than 1.0 g/kg/d showed a greater increase in body weight (62.3 +/- 6.0 to 65.5 +/- 3.7, P: < 0.05) and normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) (0.87 +/- 0.08 to 1.25 +/- 0.36, ns) than patients with acceptable protein intake (>/=1.0 g/kg/d). Phosphate decreased, though not significantly, especially in the latter group. Erythropoietin dose could be reduced from 6400 +/- 5400 U/L at baseline to 5100 +/- 4000 U/L at 18 months. Quality of life improved significantly, especially with to respect to physical condition and mental health. The DHHD markedly improves hemodynamic control and quality of life. Overall nutritional parameters did not change, except cholesterol. Patients with a low protein intake, however, showed a significant increase in body weight, and a greater rise in nPCR.