Survival Rate and Associated Risk Factors Among Hemodialysis Patients in Southwest Iran: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is defined by a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or markers of kidney damage persisting for more than 3 months. In Iran, the age-adjusted prevalence of CKD is 14.9%, based on the published literature. It has emerged as a significant health concern associated with morbidity, mortality, and a diminished quality of life.

The present study aimed to assess the survival rate and its predictors in hemodialysis patients.

The data were collected from teaching hospitals affiliated with Abadan University of Medical Sciences between January 2002 and December 2017. The patient survival period was plotted using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. The Cox regression model was employed to analyze the influence of various variables on the desired time.

A total of 389 patients were included in the study. Among them, 79% were married, and 229 (60.1%) were illiterate. The probabilities of 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival of the patients were 0.92, 0.46, and 0.02, respectively. The Cox regression model revealed that the risk of death in hemodialysis patients with hypertension was 1.45 times higher than in those without hypertension. Additionally, factors such as rural residence, older age, using permanent catheters, high serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels increased the adjusted hazard ratio in hemodialysis patients.

After adjusting for confounding factors, this study demonstrated a significant association between advancing age, hypertension, using permanent catheters, and reduced survival rates in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).