One-Year Death Rate for Medicare Patients Starting Dialysis

According to the U.S. Renal Data System, 1-year mortality for renal failure in older patients (age, ≥65) who initiate dialysis is about 30%, but that registry might omit some deaths that occur shortly after dialysis initiation. In a new study, researchers linked responses to a nationally representative survey among older adults to Medicare claims data and identified 391 patients who began dialysis between 1998 to 2014. Seventy percent had ≥4 comorbidities; 23% had activities-of-daily-living (ADL) dependence.

Mortality was 23% at 1 month and 55% at 1 year after dialysis initiation. In adjusted analyses, higher 1-year mortality was associated with ADL dependence, older age (≥85), initiation of dialysis in the hospital, and having ≥4 comorbidit…