The effect of hemodialysis duration on 703 hemodialysis patients in our center.

There are limited data on demographics, long-term follow-up, and iron/rHuEPO requirements of hemodialysis(HD) patients in Turkey. The aim of the study was to analyze the effects of the HD duration, primary illness, blood pressure, and age on serum albumin, CRP, blood pressure, iron/rHuEPO requirements, PTH, and HCV positivity of HD patients. 703 patients(280 women, 423 men, aged 47.8 ± 15.5 years) from 4 HD units were included and grouped according to the duration on HD. The demographic, clinical, and biochemical data of the last 3 months for each patient were recorded retrospectively. When the groups were compared, patients with a longer HD duration were younger and percentage of diabetic patients decreased as the duration increased. Serum albumin and CRP levels were similar between the groups. When the groups were compared according to the blood pressure profiles, after the 5^th year, a decline in the systolic blood pressures was observed. Diastolic blood pressures were similar across the years. There was no significant difference in need of antihypertensive medicines. Iron requirements showed a fall after the 5^th year, and an increase in after the 10^th year. There was a decline in the hematocrit levels by the duration on HD but there was no change in rHuEPO requirements over the years. Parathyroid hormone levels and HCV positivity tended to increase across the years. Our results revealed that during the first 10 years, age, etiology(diabetes, hypertension), and blood pressure control seemed to be important factors affecting survival. Whereas, after the 10^th year, patients seemed to be more prone to the long-term complications of HD, such as HCV infection, anemia, secondary hyperparathyroidism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]