Should nondialytic therapy be offered more frequently as a treatment option to selected ESRD patients?

Nondialytic therapy (NDT) for selected patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), such as the elderly who have extensive comorbidites, is used much more frequently in the U.K. and Europe than in the U.S., a researcher reported at the Annual Dialysis Conference in Seattle.

He presented findings of a study of 166 ESRD patients, of whom 82 (49%) were age 70 or older. Forty-six patients were aged 70-79 years and 36 were aged 80-89. The vast majority of these patients had extensive and significant multiple comorbidities, but NDT use was virtually nonexistent. The researcher believes NDT should be used more in the U.S. to improve patients’ quality of life.

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