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Survival of chronic hemodialysis patients over 80 years of age
Branka Sladoje-Martinovic1, Ivana Mikolasevic1, Ivan Bubic1
1Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Division of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Center Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
Insights
Survival rates for elderly patients over 80 starting hemodialysis (HD) improve with planned care, good nutrition, and arteriovenous fistula access. These factors are crucial for managing chronic kidney disease (CKD) in this growing population.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Geriatrics
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- The incidence of end-stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis (HD) is increasing in patients aged 80 and older.
- This demographic shift necessitates a deeper understanding of survival factors in very elderly individuals undergoing HD treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the trends in new patients aged 80+ starting HD.
- To determine the survival rates of this patient group.
- To identify key variables independently associated with survival in very elderly HD patients.
Main Methods:
- A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 1987 to September 2012.
- The study included 78 patients aged 80 years or older at the initiation of HD.
- Survival analysis and identification of mortality-associated factors were performed.
Main Results:
- The number of new HD patients aged 80+ increased significantly since 2003.
- Mean survival was 25.1 months; 30.8% survived less than 12 months, while 9% survived over 60 months.
- Poor survival was linked to high C-reactive protein, poor nutritional status, lack of pre-HD nephrology care, and catheter vascular access.
Conclusions:
- Optimal survival in very elderly HD patients is associated with pre-dialysis nephrology care and planned management.
- Good nutritional status and arteriovenous fistula as vascular access at HD initiation are critical for better outcomes.
- Cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death in approximately half of the patients.
Background/Aim:
The number of elderly patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 5 management with hemodialysis (HD) is steadily increasing. Therefore we analyzed the number of new CKD patients ≥80 years managed with HD and their survival through the study period. We aimed also, to identify which of several key variables might be independently associated with survival in this very elderly population of patients.
Patients And Methods:
This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study that took place during the period from January 1987 to September 2012. The study consisted of 78 (50 male and 28 women) very elderly patients (≥80 years of age); the mean age at which HD was initiated was 83.2±2.5 years. Survival and factors associated with mortality were studied. Survival was defined as the time from start of HD treatment to death (or end of study, if still alive).
Results:
In the period from 1987 to 2002, patients ≥80 years of age were only sporadically treated with HD, but since 2003, the number of new patients has been steadily increasing. The mean survival for our group of patients was 25.1±22.4 months (range 1-115 months). Furthermore, 30.8% patients survived <12 months, 29.5% patients survived 12-24 months, 30.8% patients survived 24-60 months, and 9% patients survived >60 months on HD treatment. Older patients were less likely to have diabetes, and primary renal disease did not influence survival. Patients with high C-reactive protein levels and poor nutritional status, as well as those who did not have pre-HD nephrology care and those that had a catheter as vascular access for HD had poor survival. In about half of our patients, the cause of death was cardiovascular disease.
Conclusion:
Among patients who were ≥80 years of age at the start of HD treatment, those who received pre-HD nephrology care that followed a planned management pathway, those who had a good nutritional status, and those with an arteriovenous fistula as vascular access for HD at the time of HD initiation had a better survival.
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