Cognitive Impairment and Related Causes in Hemodialysis Patients

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the stage of renal failure that requires renal replacement therapy such as hemodialysis. Despite the beneficial effects of hemodialysis on patient survival and progress in the treatment of various disorders in these patients, patients still suffer from numerous complications, such as neurological and cognitive disorders, which do not improve with dialysis.

This study aimed to evaluate cognitive impairment in hemodialysis patients in Zahedan, Iran, and design a model to predict the risk.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 114 hemodialysis patients in Zahedan. Due to the socioeconomic status of the people of this region and the lack of a similar study in this part of Iran, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was performed. An information checklist, including age, gender, lifetime frequency of hemodialysis, and duration of hemodialysis, was completed by the investigator.

The MMSE score showed that cognitive impairment was common in ESRD patients, and its prevalence was significantly higher in elderly patients. Patients’ cognitive function was significantly related to the lifetime frequency and duration of dialysis. Based on these results, we designed a model to predict the likelihood of cognitive impairment.

The results show that cognitive impairment is a common problem among ESRD patients. Dementia is associated with multiple risks such as death, withdrawal from dialysis, hospitalization, and exacerbation of disability in ESRD patients. Therefore, effective recognition and management of these disorders can improve clinical care.