Hypothyroidism Affects Dialysis Patients’ Quality of Life

Most of the patients with advanced chronic kidney disease have poor thyroid function. Impaired thyroid function was found to affect the well-being of dialysis patients.

In dialysis patients, impaired thyroid function may have detrimental effects on the health and well-being, finds a new study.

Although hypothyroidism -- a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone -- is common in hemodialysis patients, it's unclear how it affects their health and quality of life.

Dialysis - Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis and Role of Diet and Drugs
Dialysis is an artificial process for removing excess water and waste from the blood. Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are the types of dialysis.

‘In hemodialysis patients, impaired thyroid function affected the quality of life including fatigue, physical function, and pain.’

To investigate, Connie M. Rhee, MD, MSc (University of California Irvine) and her colleagues examined information from 450 hemodialysis patients from 17 outpatient dialysis facilities who completed questionnaires every 6 months. To assess thyroid function, the team measured patients' blood levels of thyrotropin, which is elevated in patients with hypothyroidism.

Higher thyrotropin levels were associated with impairments across multiple areas of health-related quality of life, including energy/fatigue, physical function, and pain.

"Given the high prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and low levels of quality of life in dialysis patients, future research is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms of these associations, and whether thyroid hormone replacement can improve the health-related quality of life of this population," said Dr. Rhee.

Changing Properties of Zeolites to Develop a Portable Device for Hemodialysis
A new material for a portable device for hemodialysis could soon be created by scientists of Tomsk State University.

"In addition, as the first study in dialysis patients to document an association between higher thyrotropin levels and low levels of physical function, a strong predictor of death, future studies are needed to determine whether correction of thyroid status with exogenous thyroid hormone can improve physical function in this population."

The findings of the study are published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

Pittsburgh Analysis Questions Acute Hemodialysis Treatment Use
In an analysis led by experts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, a common approach to treating kidney failure by removing waste products from the blood did not improve survival chances for people who suddenly developed the condition.

Source-Eurekalert

New Study Questions Longstanding Belief Related to Hemodialysis Care
The belief that the higher risk of death in hemodialysis patients treated with catheters is due to elevated risk of complications has been questioned by a new study.