Current clinical profiles for Chinese hemodialysis patients

The prevalence of hemodialysis (HD) patients in China is escalating, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of their clinical profiles. This study offers an in-depth analysis of the baseline data from the China Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) Phase 7 (DOPPS7), aiming to assess the current clinical characteristics and target ranges for the most recent years. It also compares these findings with those from DOPPS Phase 5. The DOPPS is a well-regarded international, prospective, and observational cohort study. Our analysis focused on the initial sample of patients enrolled in China DOPPS7. We report the demographic and clinical characteristics of 1843 patients, with a mean age of 61 ± 14 years and a male predominance (60.7%). The median dialysis vintage was 2.64 years, with diabetes (31.7%) and chronic glomerulonephritis (21.4%) being the leading causes of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Notably, 81.2% of patients had a single-pooled Kt/V ≥ 1.2, and 80.5% maintained albumin levels > 3.5 g/dl. Hemoglobin levels within the target range (110-130 g/dl) were observed in 44.2% of patients, while serum calcium (8.4-10.2 mg/dl) and phosphate (3.5-5.5 mg/dl) were within target ranges in 63.8% and 38.3% of patients, respectively. PTH levels were maintained within 150-600 pg/dl in 57.6% of patients, and 84.7% utilized fistula as their vascular access. Significant variations were noted in demographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment characteristics among the three cities involved in the study. Compared to DOPPS5, improvements were observed in the proportion of patients meeting standards for hemoglobin, blood phosphorus, iPTH, and spKTV, while serum calcium, TSAT, and ferritin levels remained relatively stable. However, an increase in the proportion of patients with albumin < 3.5 g/dl was noted. The study's limitations include the exclusion of patients from smaller cities and remote areas, where HD patient conditions might differ significantly from those reported.