WASHINGTON—A nationwide database called the Comprehensive Dialysis Study (CDS) includes detailed information on a wide range of health factors in U.S. dialysis patients and provides a valuable new resource for improving dialysis outcomes, according to an online report in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
"The primary goal of the CDS is to better understand the interrelations among general health, nutrition, physical function, and health-related quality of life in a representative sample of patients recently starting maintenance hemodialysis," said Nancy J. Kutner, PhD, director of the Rehabilitation/ Quality of Life Special Studies Center of the U.S. Renal Data System (USRDS) at EmoryUniversity in Atlanta. "By linking these data with patient-specific information in USRDS files, researchers will be able to examine the predictive significance of early physical and nutritional status for morbidity and mortality outcomes."
The CDS includes 1,646 patients from a random sample of 295 dialysis facilities in 48 states and Washington, D.C. The patients range in age from 19 to 94 years, with an average age of 60. At the time they were enrolled in the CDS, the patients had been on dialysis for an average of four months.
In telephone interviews, patients provided detailed information on a broad range of factors that may affect health, functioning and long-term outcomes on dialysis. "The CDS includes patient employment status and validated measures of health-related quality of life, physical activity level, sleep disturbance, and depression collected from all participants," said Kutner.
One subgroup of patients gave detailed information on dietary intake; another provided blood samples for assessment of nutrition, inflammation and other key measures.
