GRAPEVINE, Tex.—Diabetes mellitus and cardiac disease are not associated with shorter life expectancy among patients aged 70 years and older when they commence dialysis, but those who had an arteriovenous (AV) fistula at dialysis initiation had better survival than individuals who started dialysis with a cuffed tunneled catheter.
Researchers at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., reported findings here at the National Kidney Foundation’s 2008 Spring Clinical Meetings. They studied 192 dialysis patients, of whom 80% had a cuffed tunneled catheter and 14% had an AV fistula at the start of dialysis.
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