Daily Hemodialysis Improves Depression

Daily Hemodialysis Improves Depression and Recovery Time

Kidney.org - September 1, 2010

Submitted by Mr CS Soong

(New York, NY) – -- Hemodialysis patients who transitioned

from in-center to daily home dialysis regimens experienced

significant improvements in depressive symptoms and

post-dialysis recovery times, according to a new report

published today in the American Journal of KidneyDiseases,

the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation.

Patients who made the switch from the normal, thrice weekly

in-center treatment regimen to a daily schedule, defined as

six times per week, reported more than a 30% decline in

depressive symptoms and an 87% drop in post-dialysis

recovery time over a 12 month period.

The research team assessed 128 patients making the

treatment regimen switch. Patients were assessed upon enrollment

and then again four months and 12 months afterward. The

average training period to complete the transition was 27

days.

“Depression and post-dialysis fatigue are important concerns

for patients with kidney failure,” said Kerry Willis, PhD,

National Kidney Foundation’s Senior Vice President of

Scientific Activities. “These findings suggest that increasing

the number of times a patient dialyzes can improve their

quality of life, which has been linked to fewer trips to the

hospital and a lower mortality rate.”

This report is part of the FREEDOM (Following Rehabilitation,

Economics and Everyday-Dialysis Outcome Measurements)

Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study investigating the

clinical and economic benefits of daily haemodialysis.


“The improvement in depression symptoms may be
directly related to the shortened recovery time and less dramatic
chemical changes with more frequent dialysis,” said Dr.
Fredric Finkelstein, of Yale University School of Medicine and
member of the FREEDOM Study The National Kidney Foundation
is dedicated to preventing andtreating kidney and urinary tract
diseases, improving the health and well being of individuals and
families affected by these diseases and increasing availability of
all organs for transplantation. For more information on kidney
disease, dialysis or a schedule of kidney screenings
visit www.kidney.org.