[Terminal chronic renal insufficiency in the south of Réunion. Epidemiology, survival on dialysis]

In Reunion Island, as in the other French Overseas Territories, end-stage renal failure prevalence is more than twice that France as a whole. In the past 12 years, 407 patients were enrolled in the South-Island dialysis program, allowing for local epidemiologic and survival figures analysis. Non insulindependent diabetes mellitus and chronic systemic hypertension, both being silent maturity diseases with close physiopathology, are accountable for 60% of the incidence from beginning of the 90's. Female predominance among diabetic and dialysed patients could be a tropical specificity. In spite of lack of patient selection, dialysis survival seems satisfactory when compared to European Dialysis Registry. Overall survival median, starting 30 days after beginning of treatment in the South, is 6 years with a 35% 10 years survival rate. Diabetic patients have a lower survival rate at 1 (85.8%), 3 (58.4%) and 5 years (33.4%), the age-corrected relative mortality risk being 1.75. A local non insulin dependent diabetes epidemiologic survey is needed to identify predisposed populations, and prevent or delay degenerating complications, notably end-stage renal failure palliative treatment whose high-cost palliative treatment is further increased by ultraperipheral geographical location.