Quality of Life in Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy and Renal Replacement Therapy

Abstract

Objective: To compare the quality of life in patients with diabetic nephropathy undergoing continuous ambulatory dialysis and hemodialysis. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, and prospective study conducted at the Outpatient Medical Care Unit 254 in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico, of the Mexican Social Security Institute. The study was conducted from December 2023 to April 2024, and included 136 patients with diabetic nephropathy undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. The KDQOL-36 was used to assess quality of life, and biomarkers were collected. Descriptive analysis, χ², Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and logistic regression were performed. Results: 136 patients were studied, predominantly male and over 60 years of age; 68 participants were obtained for each therapy. Good quality of life was observed in both therapies, with no significant differences between them (p=0.054). In the “disease burden” domain, peritoneal dialysis was associated with a worse quality of life (p=0.021). Parathyroid hormone, calcium, uric acid, and transferrin were identified as predictors of quality of life. Conclusions: Quality of life was generally good and independent of the type of therapy; however, certain domains and biomarkers significantly influenced it.