[Survival and mortality in ESRD patients]

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Public Health
• Gerontology

Context:

• Chronic renal failure (CRF) necessitates renal replacement therapy (RRT) such as dialysis or kidney transplantation.
• Patient outcomes for RRT initiated between 2002 and 2011 were analyzed.
• Key indicators examined include survival rates, life expectancy, and causes of mortality.

Purpose:

• To present indicators on survival, life expectancy, and causes of death for patients with chronic renal failure undergoing initial RRT.
• To assess the influence of age, comorbidities (diabetes, cardiovascular disease), and treatment type (dialysis vs. transplantation) on patient outcomes.
• To identify trends in patient survival over time.

Summary:

• Patient survival on dialysis is strongly influenced by age, with individuals under 65 having over 90% one-year survival, decreasing significantly for older age groups.
• The presence of diabetes or cardiovascular comorbidities markedly worsens survival rates.
• Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death (27%), followed by infections (12%) and cancer (10%).
• Kidney transplant recipients exhibit substantially lower mortality rates and greater life expectancy compared to dialysis patients; a 30-year-old transplant recipient has an estimated 41-year life expectancy versus 23 years for a dialysis patient.

Impact:

• Provides critical data for understanding and improving long-term outcomes for patients with chronic kidney disease.
• Highlights the significant benefits of kidney transplantation over dialysis in terms of survival and life expectancy.
• Informs clinical decision-making and public health strategies for managing end-stage renal disease.