Psychosocial factors and health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

Several sociodemographic and clinical variables are known to influence the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with kidney disease, yet the relationship between psychological factors and the HRQOL measured by the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short-Form (KDQOL-SF) is incompletely understood. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between psychosocial status (depressive symptoms, trait anxiety, and social support) and KDQOL-SF scales in hemodialysis (HD) patients by controlling the effects of sociodemographic and clinical variables. The HRQOL of 194 patients from 43 dialysis centers in Spain was assessed by completing the KDQOL-SF, and evaluating depressive Symptoms (Cognitive Depression Index), trait anxiety (Trait Anxiety Inventory) and degree of social support (Scale of Perceived Social Support).

Psychosocial factors and quality of life in young hemodialysis patients with low comorbidity.

Background: The current predominance of older patients, diabetic patients and high-comorbidity patients among the hemodialysis (HD) population has probably influenced the definition of the effects of renal disease on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and these effects can be different in the patient subgroup without these characteristics. This multicenter study aimed to assess HRQOL in non-diabetic HD patients, aged < 65 yrs and with low comorbidity, and to study the effects of the demographic, clinical and psychosocial characteristics on their HRQOL.

Methods: 117 patients from 43 Spanish HD centers participated in the study.

Increasing the hematocrit has a beneficial effect on quality of life and is safe in selected hemodialysis patients. Spanish Cooperative Renal Patients Quality of Life Study Group of the Spanish Society of Nephrology.

Target hematocrit/hemoglobin values in dialysis patients are still controversial. The Spanish Cooperative Renal Patients Quality of Life Study Group (including 34 hemodialysis units) conducted a prospective, 6-mo study of the effect on patient functional status and quality of life of using epoetin to achieve normal hematocrit in hemodialysis patients with anemia. The possible adverse effects of increased hematocrit, patient hospitalization, and epoetin requirements were also studied.