Publications by authors named "Agnes Z Kovacs"
Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome measure in patients with chronic kidney disease. It also has been shown repeatedly to predict mortality in various patient populations. In a prospective cohort study, we assessed the association between HRQoL and long-term clinical outcome in kidney transplant recipients.
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- Kidney transplantation (Tx) is associated with improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to patients on dialysis (WL), even after accounting for patient characteristics such as demographics and depressive symptoms.
- A study with 888 Tx patients and 187 WL patients utilized self-reported questionnaires to measure HRQoL, revealing Tx patients scored better in both general health and kidney-specific areas.
- The findings suggest that the type of renal replacement therapy (Tx vs WL) has a significant impact on HRQoL, with Tx patients experiencing notably less burden and better overall well-being.
Objective: To analyze in a prospective cohort study if depressive symptoms are an independent predictor of mortality in kidney transplant recipients.
Methods: Data from 840 transplanted patients followed at a single outpatient transplant center were analyzed. Sociodemographic parameters and clinical data were collected at enrollment (between August 2002 and February 2003).
Background: Depression is associated with impaired quality of life and increased morbidity and mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease. Little is known about the prevalence and correlates of depression in kidney transplant recipients. In this study, we aimed to compare depressive symptoms between kidney transplant recipients and wait-listed dialysis patients and identify the correlates of depressive symptoms in the transplant recipient population.
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- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) often comes with other chronic health issues, making it crucial to consider these comorbidities in both research and clinical settings since they can significantly influence patient outcomes, especially for those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
- Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is increasingly seen as vital in measuring the effectiveness and overall patient satisfaction in managing chronic illnesses, highlighting that merely extending life for patients with ESRD is insufficient without considering their quality of life.
- This review aims to explore the important interplay between comorbidities and HRQoL in ESRD patients, outlining existing assessment tools and examining how various medical conditions affect their overall quality of life.
Background: Previous studies showed an association between the presence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and mortality in patients on dialysis therapy. An association between RLS and cardiovascular risk also was reported in the general population. However, no prospective study to date assessed the association between the presence of RLS and mortality in kidney transplant recipients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The aim of this study was to determine the basic psychometric properties, reliability, and validity of the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Short Form (KDQOL-SF) questionnaire in kidney transplant patients.
Methods: The reliability and validity of the instrument were determined in 418 kidney transplant patients followed in a single outpatient transplant centre.
Results: Internal consistency of all the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) domains was very good, and the Cronbach's alpha value was above .
Background: Recent studies confirmed that sleep disorders have a significant impact on various aspects of health in patients at different stages of chronic kidney disease. At the same time, there is an almost complete lack of information on the prevalence and correlates of insomnia in kidney transplant recipients.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the Athens Insomnia Scale was used to assess the prevalence of insomnia in a large sample of kidney transplant recipients compared with wait-listed dialysis patients and also a matched group obtained from a nationally representative sample of the Hungarian population.
Background: In a cross-sectional study, we analysed the complex relationship between restless legs syndrome (RLS), insomnia and specific insomnia symptoms and health-related quality of life (QoL) in patients on maintenance dialysis.
Methods: Data were obtained from 333 patients on chronic maintenance dialysis. To assess the prevalence of RLS, we used the RLS Questionnaire (RLSQ).