Life expectancy, expected years of life lost and survival of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients

Background: Expected years of life lost (EYLL) in dialysis patients are rarely discussed. This study compared life expectancy, EYLL and survival between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods: Adults who underwent maintenance dialysis at National Taiwan University Hospital from 1995 to 2006 were followed up until December 2007. Kaplan-Meier analysis and a constant excess hazard model were used to estimate and project long-term survival. EYLL was calculated by subtracting the life expectancy of patients from that of age- and sex-matched referents. HD patients were then matched with PD patients on age, sex and diabetes mellitus (DM). Life expectancy, EYLL and survival between the 2 groups were compared. Mortality risks were determined by the Cox model. Results: Before matching, the 305 HD patients were older than the 428 PD patients (62.4 ± 13.7 vs. 53.1 ± 16.7 years; p<0.0001). More HD patients had DM (HD vs. PD, 29.2% vs. 20.6%; p=0.0072). Life expectancy and EYLL of HD patients were 8.8 and 11.5 years, compared with those of PD patients (19.9 and 7.4 years). After matching, life expectancy (p=0.790) and EYLL (p=0.793) of both groups (236 patients each) were similar. Age (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 1.07; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.05-1.09) and DM (AHR=3.81; 95% CI, 2.28-6.36) were independent mortality predictors. For diabetic patients who underwent HD, a better survival rate was observed (AHR=0.24; 95% CI, 0.11-0.53). Conclusions: After matching, HD and PD patients had similar life expectancy and EYLL. Survival was better for diabetic patients if they received HD.