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Symptom Burden, Depression, and Quality of Life in Chronic and End-Stage Kidney Disease

Khaled Abdel-Kader^*, Mark L. Unruh^*, and Steven D. Weisbord^*,

Renal Section and Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; ^* Renal-Electrolyte Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Correspondence: Dr. Steven D. Weisbord, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Mailstop 111F-U, 7E room 120. Pittsburgh, PA 15240. Phone: 412-360-3911; Fax: 412-360-6908; E-mail: weisbordsd{at}upmc.edu

Background and objectives: While many patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have impaired physical and psychologic well-being, less is known about these health domains in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). The authors sought to compare symptoms, depression, and quality of life in patients with ESRD and those with CKD.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements: Patients with ESRD and subjects with advanced CKD were enrolled. Patients’ symptoms, depression, and quality of life were assessed using the Dialysis Symptom Index (DSI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Short Form 36 (SF-36), respectively, and these health domains were compared between patient groups.

Results: Ninety patients with ESRD and 87 with CKD were enrolled. There were no differences in the overall number of symptoms or in the total DSI symptom-severity score. Median scores on the PHQ-9 were similar, as was the proportion of patients with PHQ-9 scores >9. SF-36 Physical Component Summary scores were comparable, as were SF-36 Mental Component Summary scores.

Conclusions: The burden of symptoms, prevalence of depression, and low quality of life are comparable in patients with ESRD and advanced CKD. Given the widely recognized impairments in these domains in ESRD, findings of this study underscore the substantial decrements in the physical and psychologic well-being of patients with CKD.