Impact of Hemodialysis Duration and Clinical Factors on Health-Related Quality of Life in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) progressing to end stage renal disease (ESRD) is an increasing global health burden with high prevalence and significant mortality, including in Bangladesh. In ESRD patients, maintenance hemodialysis is the main life-sustaining therapy that improves survival but imposes a substantial physical and psychosocial burden, thereby reducing health-related quality of life. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of hemodialysis duration and clinical factors on health-related quality of life in chronic kidney disease patients. Methods & Materials: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Nephrology, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, over six months after ethical approval. A total of 100 CKD patients on maintenance hemodialysis were selected by purposive sampling to assess the impact of dialysis duration and clinical factors on health-related quality of life. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire and the validated Bangla SF-36 tool, and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results: The study included 100 maintenance hemodialysis patients, mainly aged 61-70 years (33.0%) and male (76.0%). Diabetic nephropathy was the leading cause of CKD (32.0%), and most had serum creatinine 5-7 mg/dl (42.0%). Most patients were on dialysis for 1-5 years (56.0%). SF-36 scores were lowest for general health perception and highest for pain. Longer dialysis duration (>5 years) was significantly associated with lower scores in multiple SF-36 domains (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Maintenance hemodialysis is associated with significantly impaired quality of life, which progressively worsens with longer treatment duration.