Evaluation of Health-related Quality of Life in Regular Hemodialysis Patients Using the KDQOL-SFTM Questionnaire

Background: in end-stage chronic renal failure, treatments like hemodialysis induce substantial changes in lifestyle. Such therapies aim to achieve functional improvement by reducing symptoms and/or slowing disease progression. Objective: to evaluate the health-related quality of life in patients undergoing regular hemodialysis. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in chronic renal failure patients undergoing regular hemodialysis in the hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis service of the Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Military Hospital from January through February 2013. The Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form version 1.3 was used to evaluate the health-related quality of life. Results: generic dimensions with lower scores were the physical role, general health perception and emotional role. The specific dimensions with lower scores were the burden of kidney disease, employment status and sexual function while dimensions with higher scores were specific: relationship with the dialysis staff (85.62 points), cognitive function (84.33 points) and quality of social relationship (82.88 points). Conclusion: As in other countries, the KDQOL-SF enables the evaluation of health-related quality of life in regular hemodialysis patients in Cuba, since it allows effectively identifying the dimensions and areas most affected

Quality of Life related to health in the morbidity of periodic hemodialysis patient

Foundation: chronic renal failure has a negative impact in the quality of life and constitutes a morbidity predictor in patients with periodic hemodialysis.Objective: to evaluate the influence of quality of life related to health in the morbidity of patients in intermittent periodic hemodialysis.Methods: a descriptive study was done in patients with three or more time of intermittent periodic hemodialysis at the Nephrology service of the Military Hospital Dr. Carlos J. Finlay. Havana, in a 12 month follow up period. The variables analyzed were: age, sex, time with the substituting renal function treatment, morbidity rate, type of morbidity in hemodialysis and hospital admission rate. A questionnaire for quality of life in patients with renal disease (version 1.3) was applied.Results: patients under 60 years old predominated, of high schooling level, with blood hypertension mainly due to renal failure.  The most frequent morbidities were: chills, arterial Hypotension, and complications related to vascular access. The admission rate was low. The summary physical component had the lower punctuation followed by the summary mental component. Among these and age there was found an inversely proportional correlation, so as the morbidity rate and the summary physical component.Conclusion: the results obtained are related to preceding studies. The physical component summary results with higher involvement, mainly in the older adult, considering the negative relation with the morbidity rate and hospital admission.</p

Quality of Life related to health in the morbidity of periodic hemodialysis patient

Foundation: chronic renal failure has a negative impact in the quality of life and constitutes a morbidity predictor in patients with periodic hemodialysis.Objective: to evaluate the influence of quality of life related to health in the morbidity of patients in intermittent periodic hemodialysis.Methods: a descriptive study was done in patients with three or more time of intermittent periodic hemodialysis at the Nephrology service of the Military Hospital Dr. Carlos J. Finlay. Havana, in a 12 month follow up period. The variables analyzed were: age, sex, time with the substituting renal function treatment, morbidity rate, type of morbidity in hemodialysis and hospital admission rate. A questionnaire for quality of life in patients with renal disease (version 1.3) was applied.Results: patients under 60 years old predominated, of high schooling level, with blood hypertension mainly due to renal failure.  The most frequent morbidities were: chills, arterial Hypotension, and complications related to vascular access. The admission rate was low. The summary physical component had the lower punctuation followed by the summary mental component. Among these and age there was found an inversely proportional correlation, so as the morbidity rate and the summary physical component.Conclusion: the results obtained are related to preceding studies. The physical component summary results with higher involvement, mainly in the older adult, considering the negative relation with the morbidity rate and hospital admission.</p

Immunosenescence and gender: a study in healthy Cubans

BACKGROUND: The progressive decline in the immune function during ageing is termed immunosenescence. Previous studies have reported differences between males and females in the distribution and cell responses of lymphocyte subsets. Most studies of immunosenescence have been done in populations of industrialized countries living in a rather cold environment, and facing lower antigenic challenges such as Cytomegalovirus (CMV). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ageing on lymphocytes in a population with a high prevalence of CMV infection in all ages, and to compare gender differences related to the immunosenescence markers. RESULTS: Different populations of peripheral blood leukocytes from healthy young and old IgG-CMV seropositive individuals were examined using flow cytometry. With age, the number and frequency of B cells and T cells significantly decreased, while highly differentiated T cells increased. Such changes were different in males and females. The age-associated decline of less differentiated lymphocyte subsets (CD19, CD4 and CD8 cells) and the increase of highly differentiated T cells were more prominent in females. In males, there were no significant changes in CD19, CD4 and CD8 subsets but there was a significant increase in the proportion of highly differentiated T cells. CONCLUSION: Shifts in lymphocyte subsets distribution were influenced by age and gender in an IgG-CMV seropositive population. These results suggest different patterns of immunosenescence in respect to gender differences. These patterns could have implications in the design of immunotherapy in the elderly