MedifocusHealth

The prognosis for patients with uremia once they reach end-stage renal failure has improved over the past decade because of better treatment modalities and dialysis. The impact of kidney disease varies depending on the presence of other medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

After 1 year of dialysis, 79% of end stage renal failure patients survive; after 5 years of dialysis, the number drops to 33%. The average survival for patients on dialysis is 5-10 years before death unless a kidney transplant is performed.

The good news is that people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are living longer than ever. Although dialysis is not a cure for ESRD, it does improve both the quality of life and survival for patients with end-stage renal failure.

While genetic factors contribute to susceptibility and progression of renal disease, the presence of proteinuria has been identified as an independent predictor of outcome. Reduction of urinary protein levels by various medications and a low-protein diet limits renal function decline in individuals with non-diabetic and diabetic nephropathies to the point that remission of the disease and regression of renal lesions have been observed in experimental animals and even in humans.

Cardiovascular complications (myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, stroke) are the most frequent complications and are responsible for 50% of deaths in patients with renal failure.

Studies are demonstrating that "dual blockade" of the renin-angiotensin system by using both ACE-inhibitor and angiotentin II receptor blocker medications slow down the loss of kidney function in people with diabetes.

Studies have shown that in patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, the use of the dialysate solution Icodextrin (7.5% dextrose solution) for the long-dwell increased ultrafiltration (fluid loss) compared with 1.35% or 2.27% dextrose solutions.