Dialysis and Kidney Disease: How It Can Improve Older Adults' Quality of Life.
Kidney failure is becoming more common in adults over 65.
Dialysis is a common treatment for kidney disease and renal failure.
According to researchers, dialysis can significantly raise many people's quality of life.
About 37 million individuals in the United States (Trusted Source), many of whom are unaware they have the disease, are affected by kidney disease, which is one of the major causes of mortality in the country.
Renal failure is characterized by a particularly low level of kidney function. Receiving a kidney transplant is one remedy for renal failure.
Despite a twofold increase in organ donation over the previous two decades, there are still over 92,000 patients on the national transplant list who are in need of a kidney.
Another therapy option for many older folks with renal failure is dialysis, which can be unsettling to some.
However, recent studies indicate that commencing dialysis can enhance older person's quality of life.
The research, which originated in six European countries—Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom—was published today in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN).
Researchers looked at the self-reported quality of life of adults over 65 both before and after dialysis in this study.
What do these results ultimately mean? What are the opinions of specialists on the subject?
With regards to dialysis and kidney disease
According to Dr. Teresa Amato, the director of geriatric emergency medicine at Northwell Health in New York, "kidney failure develops when the renal system is no longer able to eliminate waste and balance fluids and electrolytes."
For someone with renal failure, there may be little to no symptoms, or if the illness worsens, there may be a variety of unpleasant side effects, according to Amato.
Some kidney disease warning symptoms include:
Fatigue
Brain haze
Dizziness or vomiting
Obesity or a lack of appetite
Dr. Shree Mulay, a nephrologist and the founder of the Kidney Experts in Tennessee, told Healthline that when these and other symptoms worsen, a patient's quality of life reaches a point where starting dialysis is preferable to managing the symptoms.
Dialysis may be carried out either at home or at a hospital, according to Mulay, depending on the situation.
"Factors that influence a person's decision-making include their present health and comorbidities, as well as their living circumstances at home and any accessible support networks. No two people are the same, therefore it's critical to assist each one in identifying the course of therapy that aligns with their principles and way of life, according to Mulay.
All of this does not imply that getting dialysis is simple.
"Dialysis is a time-consuming technique that requires numerous treatments each week (often three). It takes many hours to sit still and be connected to a dialysis machine for each session. Transportation to and from the dialysis facility and home is also necessary, according to Amato.
For some senior citizens, the benefits to quality of life may not exceed the hazards or the time required for travel and treatment, she continued.
A Nephrologist and clinical professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine in Connecticut is Dr. Alan Kliger. He is the chair of the ASN's Advisory Committee on Excellence in Patient Care and a member of the ASN, although he did not write this study.
"Other kinds of dialysis, like all operations, have possible consequences," Kliger told Healthline. "Patients can assess these risks to determine where the risk/benefit ratio is for them. The third option—going without dialysis—is always an option, but it nearly invariably results in a shorter lifetime.
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