Knowledge of the epidemiologic characteristics of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients is essential. The trends in the prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates of ESKD were analyzed retrospectively using the Korean National Health Insurance ServiceNational Sample Cohort database between 2006 and 2015. From 2006 to 2015, the incidence of ESKD decreased from 28.6 to 24.0 per 100,000 people and showed a decreasing pattern with or without diabetes mellitus. However, the incidence of those aged ≥75 years increased, as did the mean age at the onset of ESKD. From 2007 to 2015, the prevalence of ESKD increased in all age groups, but particularly in those aged ≥75 years. The prevalence of ESKD differed by sex and diabetes mellitus status and this gap widened over time. Mortality rates in ESKD patients remained relatively constant throughout the study period. However, mortality rates in ESKD without diabetes decreased over the same period.

Background: The limited literature on mental illness in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients suggests that this disease is common and burdensome but underrecognized in clinical practice. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of mental illness in ESKD patients.Methods: We assessed the prevalence and patterns of mental illnesses in a nationwide cohort of patients diagnosed with ESKD between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2017. The risk of mental illness was evaluated using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model.Results: A total of 70,079 patients met all study inclusion criteria. A total of 28.3% of patients had mental illness, and the specific distribution was as follows: depression, 16.8%; anxiety, 20.0%; somatoform/conversion disorder, 0.9%; stress reaction/adjustment disorder, 2.5%; and substance abuse disorder, 0.6%. The frequency of mental illness was highest in patients on hemodialysis (HD), followed by patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) and kidney transplant (KT) patients. The peak rate of mental illness in HD and PD patients was reached 1 to 2 years after renal replacement therapy initiation, but the peak rate of most mental illnesses in KT patients occurred before surgery. The prevalence of depression was 2.19 times higher in HD patients and 1.97 times higher in PD patients than in KT patients.Conclusion: ESKD patients are at high risk of mental illness, and the prevalence of mental illness is highest in HD patients. Since the onset of mental illness occurs around the initiation of renal replacement therapy, clinicians need to pay attention to mental illness when treating ESKD patients.

Background: Patients undergoing hemodialysis are susceptible to sarcopenia. As intracellular reservoirs of water, skeletal muscles are important contributors to intradialytic hypotension. This study was designed to determine the role of skeletal muscle mass in intradialytic hypotension. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the body composition of 177 patients was measured immediately after hemodialysis using bioelectrical impedance analysis. The parameters measured were skeletal muscle mass, intracellular and extracellular water contents, total body water, and cell-membrane functionality (in phase angle at 50 kHz). Data from laboratory tests, chest radiography, measurements of handgrip strength and mid-arm circumference, and questionnaires were collected. The main outcome was intradialytic hypotension, defined as more than two episodes of hypotension (systolic blood pressure of <90 mmHg) with intervention over the 3 months following enrollment. Logistic regression models including each parameter related to sarcopenia were compared with a clinical model. Results: Patients with a low ratio of skeletal muscle mass to dry body weight (SMM/WT) had a higher rate of intradialytic hypotension (40.7%). Most low-SMM/WT patients were female, obese, diabetic, and had a lower handgrip strength compared with the other patients. In the high-SMM/WT group, the risk of intradialytic hypotension was lower, with an odds ratio of 0.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02–0.28) and adjusted odds ratio of 0.06 (95% CI, 0.01–0.29). Conclusion: Measurement and maintenance of skeletal muscle can help prevent intradialytic hypotension in frail patients undergoing hemodialysis.

The incidence of fractures in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is high which is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Since fractures are preventable diseases to some extent, epidemiologic studies are needed a lot. The aim of this study is to explore the epidemiology of fractures by modality of kidney replacement therapy (KRT). We performed a retrospective analysis of 52,777 patients dependent on KRT from 2008 to 2017 using the National Health Insurance System of Republic Korea. Fractures were occurred in 8995 (17.04%) of 52,777 patients with ESKD. Hemodialysis and kidney transplant patients had the highest (57.4 per 1000 person-year) and the lowest (25.2 per 1000 person-year) incidence rate, respectively. The two most common fracture sites were the lower limb and upper limb, regardless of KRT modality. The first fractures were about 2.55 ± 2.07 years after KRT initiation, the earliest in Hemodialysis patients. Diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular disease, chronic lung and liver disease were risk factors of fractures. The use of steroids, anti-osteoporosis medications, and some classes of psychotropics and opioids was associated with an elevated risk. The results of this study inform the understanding of fractures in KRT patients.