Is the loss of health-related quality of life during renal replacement therapy lower in elderly patients than in younger patients?

Background. Previous studies have reported that elderly (aged 65 years or o ver) end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have poorer health-related qua lity of life (HRQOL) than both younger patients and healthy subjects of the same age. The aim of present study was to evaluate the effect of ESRD and its treatment on the HRQOL, and to determine the effects of age and gender. Methods. A cross-sectional multicentric study was carried out with 485 haem odialysis and renal-transplant patients, using the SF-36 Health Survey to e valuate their HRQOL. SF-36 scores were standardized by age and gender using Spanish normative data. Karnofsky scale score (KS), socio-demographic, and clinical data were also collected. Results. In renal-replacement therapy (RRT), chronic haemodialysis, and ren al-transplant patients, SF-36 standardized scores of elderly patients were higher than in younger patients. Therefore the reduction in HRQOL of elderl y patients, in relationship with that of the general population of the same age and gender, was lower than in younger patients. In the case of renal-t ransplant patients, standardized scores in elderly patients were higher tha n in the general population for all parameters. Conclusions. Using standardized scores, elderly patients on renal replaceme nt therapy (haemodialysis and kidney transplant) had relatively better HRQO L than younger patients, and in the case of transplant patients, they had e ven better HRQOL than in the general population of the same age and gender.