Gender-Specific Differences in Peritoneal Dialysis

Gender-specific differences between patients on renal replacement therapy have so far rarely been investigated. In the present study we aimed to describe gender-specific differences in a large cohort of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

Clinical information for all patients who started PD at our center has been collected since the start of the PD-program in 1979. We used Cox regression to examine associations between technique failure and gender. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

A total of 745 patients (315 women and 430 men with a median age of 57 years; IQR 43-67) started PD between 1979 and 2015 in our center. Women were significantly younger at PD start 54 (40-65) years vs. 58 (47-68) years, p<0.001. Within the last almost 15 years, more man than women started PD, but technical survival rates were significantly better in female compared to men (HR=0.662, CI 95% (0.496-0.885) P=0.005). Cardiovascular events were the main cause of death over the study period in both sexes, but decreased over time. Additionally, death due to PD-associated peritonitis decreased significantly over the three decades in both sexes.

Our data suggest that technical survival rates were significantly better in female compared to men over three decades and death due to cardiovascular events and PD-associated peritonitis decreased significantly over the three decades in both sexes.