Research Abstract: Advanced Trainee - Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2023

A longitudinal study of frailty, quality of life and dialysis in older patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (#29)

Shannon J King 1 2 , Natasha Reid 1 , Sarah J Brown 1 , Lucinda J Brodie 1 , Aaron DH Sia 1 , Mark D Chatfield 1 , Ross S Francis 1 , Nancye M Peel 1 , Emily H Gordon 1 , Ruth Eleanor Hubbard 1
  1. Centre for Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  2. Busselton Hospital, Busselton, WA, Australia

Background

Frailty is prevalent in older people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and robust evidence supporting the benefit of dialysis in this setting is lacking. We aimed to measure frailty and quality of life (QOL) longitudinally in older people with advanced CKD and assess the impact of dialysis initiation on frailty, QOL and mortality.

 

Methods

Outpatients aged ≥65 with an eGFR ≤20ml/minute/1.73m2 were enrolled in a prospective observational study and followed up four years later. Frailty status was measured using a Frailty Index (FI), and QOL was evaluated using the EuroQol 5D-5L instrument. Mortality and dialysis status were determined through inspection of electronic records.

 

Results

Ninety-eight participants were enrolled. Between enrolment and follow-up, 36% of participants commenced dialysis and 59% died. Frailty prevalence increased from 47% at baseline to 86% at follow-up (change in median FI = 0.19, p<0.001). Initiating dialysis was not significantly associated with change in FI. QOL declined from baseline to follow-up (mean EQ-5D-5L visual analogue score of 70 vs 63, p=0.034), though commencing dialysis was associated with less decline in QOL. Each 0.1 increment in baseline FI was associated with 59% increased mortality hazard (p=0.001), and commencing dialysis was associated with 59% reduction in mortality hazard (p=0.020) irrespective of baseline FI.

 

Conclusions

Frailty increased substantially over four years. Commencing dialysis did not affect the trajectory of FI but positively influenced the trajectory of QOL. Within the limitations of small sample size, our data suggests that frail participants received similar survival benefit from dialysis as non-frail participants.