Dementia as a Predictor of Mortality in Dialysis Patients

• Published in: Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology 2006-09, Vol.1 (5), p.1000-1005
• Main Authors: Rakowski, Daniel A, Caillard, Sophie, Agodoa, Lawrence Y, Abbott, Kevin C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cohort Studies; Dementia - complications; Dementia - mortality; Female; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic - complications; Kidney Failure, Chronic - mortality; Kidney Failure, Chronic - therapy; Logistic Models; Male; Medicaid - statistics & numerical data; Medicare - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Patient Selection; Proportional Hazards Models; Registries; Renal Dialysis - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Time Factors; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1555-9041; 1555-905X
• DOI: 10.2215/CJN.00470705

The life expectancy of patients who have dementia and are initiated on dialysis in the United States has not been described in the medical literature. A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 272,024 Medicare/Medicaid primary patients in the US Renal Data System who were started on ESRD therapy between April 1, 1995, and December 31, 1999, and followed through December 31, 2001. Cox regression was used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios for risk for death after initiation of dialysis for patients whose dementia was diagnosed before the initiation of dialysis as shown by Medicare claims. The average time to death for patients with dementia was 1.09 versus 2.7 yr (P < 0.001) with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.87 (95% confidence interval 1.77 to 1.98). The 2-yr survival for patients with dementia was 24 versus 66% for patients without dementia (P < 0.001 via log rank test). Dementia that is diagnosed before initiation on dialysis is an independent risk factor for subsequent death. Such patients should be considered for time-limited trials of dialysis and careful discussion in choosing whether to pursue initiation of dialysis or palliative care.