Abstract: FR-PO1033
Regional Differences in Quality of Life in Patients on Prevalent Dialysis: An ApolloDialDb Initiative Report
Session Information
- Hemodialysis: Clinical Challenges, Patient-Centered Outcomes, and Quality of Life
October 23, 2026 | Location: Exhibit Hall A, Convention Center
Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Category: Dialysis
- 801 Dialysis: Hemodialysis and Frequent Dialysis
Authors
- Aloi, Samuele, Renal Research Institute, New York, New York, United States
- Wolf, Melanie, Renal Research Institute, New York, New York, United States
- Jiao, Yue, Renal Research Institute, New York, New York, United States
- Croft, Kaitlyn Renee, Renal Research Institute, New York, New York, United States
- Zimbelman, Justin, Renal Research Institute, New York, New York, United States
- Van Zandt, Carly R., Renal Research Institute, New York, New York, United States
- Singh, Kanti, Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Inc, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
- Usvyat, Len A., Renal Research Institute, New York, New York, United States
- Hugh-Jones, Charles, Fresenius Medical Care AG, Bad Homburg, HE, Germany
- Larkin, John W., Renal Research Institute, New York, New York, United States
Background
Quality of life (QOL) is a key outcome in dialysis care. KDQoL-36 assesses physical, mental, and kidney disease-specific domains. It is unknown if regional differences in QOL exist. We evaluated QOL by region using the global dialysis database of the ApolloDialDb™ Initiative.
Methods
The dialysis database includes real-world data from adult patients with kidney failure (ApolloDialDb v2.0; 2018–2024). Patients with ≥1 KDQoL questionnaire during their first prevalent year (180–545 days after dialysis initiation) were included; multiple scores were averaged. Patients were grouped by geographic region. Median KDQoL-36 domain scores - Physical Component Summary (PCS), Mental Component Summary (MCS), Burden of Kidney Disease (BKD), Symptoms/Problems of Kidney Disease (SPKD), and Effects of Kidney Disease (EKD) - were evaluated by region.
Results
Analysis included 220,029 dialysis patients (Figure 1). Most QOL data was from North America, but all regions were reasonably represented. Median PCS scores were ≥3 points higher in Latin America (LA) and Asia-Pacific (AP) than in Europe (EU) and North America (NA). MCS scores were about 8 points higher in LA and NA versus AP and EU. BKD scores were 31 points higher in LA and 13 points higher in NA versus AP and EU. SPKD was ≥4 points higher in EU, LA and NA versus AP. EKD scores were ≥13 points higher in LA and NA versus AP and EU. LA showed higher QOL scores across all domains.
Conclusion
QOL differs across world regions in prevalent dialysis. LA generally showed the highest QOL scores across domains, although regional patterns varied by domain. Further investigations are needed to better understand the cultural differences in the perception of QOL and potential treatment-related factors. These findings act as a benchmark for KDQOL-36 scores in prevalent dialysis.