This multi-center cross-sectional study explored symptom distress and quality of life (QoL) and their correlation in Chinese patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Stage 5 undergoing hemodialysis. The study used the Dialysis Symptom Index (DSI) and the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF™ 1.3) for evaluation. Patients reported an average of 13 symptoms. The most common symptoms were worrying (99.7%), sexual dysfunction (>90%), and trouble falling asleep (90.8%). On the KDQOL-SF™ 1.3, patients had lower scores in dimensions such as 'Burden of Kidney Disease' and 'Work Status,' and higher scores in 'Dialysis Staff Encouragement' and 'Role Limitations - Emotional.' Univariate analysis found that age, education level, employment status, dialysis frequency, dialysis modality, primary disease, multiple comorbidities, complications (renal anemia), and polypharmacy were significantly associated with the total DSI score. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between the total DSI score and each dimension of KDQOL-SF™ 1.3, with the strongest correlation found with the 'Symptom/Problem List' dimension. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that age, education level, dialysis duration, dialysis modality, and primary disease (diabetic nephropathy) were independent influencing factors for the total DSI score. After controlling for confounding factors, the total DSI score remained independently negatively correlated with multiple dimensions of KDQOL-SF™ 1.3. The study concludes that symptom distress is negatively correlated with quality of life in this population.
Imagine living with severe kidney failure and needing dialysis to survive. A study of people in this situation in China found they experience an average of 13 different symptoms. The most common ones aren't always what you'd expect: nearly everyone (99.7%) reported worrying, over 90% reported sexual problems, and 90.8% had trouble falling asleep. When looking at their quality of life, people scored lowest in areas like feeling burdened by their kidney disease and their work status. They scored higher in areas like feeling encouraged by their dialysis staff. The study found a clear connection: the more symptoms people had, the worse their overall quality of life was. This link was strongest with the part of life that deals directly with symptoms and problems. Several factors were tied to having more symptoms, including being older, having a lower education level, being on dialysis longer, the type of dialysis used, and having diabetes as the cause of kidney failure. Even after accounting for these factors, having more symptoms still meant a lower quality of life. The takeaway is simple: for people on dialysis, paying close attention to and managing their many symptoms is directly connected to helping them live better.
What this means for you: For people on dialysis, more symptoms mean a lower quality of life — especially worry, sleep trouble, and sexual problems.
View Original Abstract ↓
AimTo explore the symptom distress and quality of life status of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Stage 5 undergoing hemodialysis in China, and their correlation.MethodsThe Dialysis Symptom Index (DSI) and the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF™ 1.3), two widely used assessment tools for hemodialysis patients, were used for evaluation.ResultsThe patients reported an average of 13 symptoms. The most common symptoms were worrying (99.7%), sexual dysfunction (>90%), and trouble falling asleep (90.8%). The KDQOL-SF™ 1.3 showed that patients had lower scores in dimensions such as “Burden of Kidney Disease” and “Work Status,” while they had higher scores in the “Dialysis Staff Encouragement” and “Role Limitations - Emotional” dimensions. Univariate analysis revealed that age, education level, employment status, dialysis frequency, dialysis modality, primary disease, multiple comorbidities, complications (renal anemia), and polypharmacy were significantly associated with the total DSI score. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between the total DSI score and each dimension of KDQOL-SF™ 1.3, with the strongest correlation found with the “Symptom/Problem List” dimension. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that age, education level, dialysis duration, dialysis modality, and primary disease (diabetic nephropathy) were independent influencing factors for the total DSI score. After controlling for confounding factors, the total DSI score remained independently negatively correlated with multiple dimensions of KDQOL-SF™ 1.3.ConclusionsSymptom distress is negatively correlated with quality of life in Chinese CKD Stage 5 hemodialysis patients. Clinical attention should be given to symptom screening and management.