OBJECTIVES: To characterize the geriatric population under dialysis in a specialized center. To identify factors possibly involved with death risk in this population.
METHODS: Sixty two volunteers, (83% of the older patients of that center, six were excluded) were submited to the application of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Clock-Drawing test (CDT), the Verbal Fluency test and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Biochemical tests were also performed. After 12 months, the patients' files were reassessed as to mortality and associated factors data.
RESULTS: Volunteers alive after 12 months were younger (68.18 ± 5.7 years) than those that died (74.06 ± 7.36 years), p = 0.001. Male gender was predominant (60.7%). In alive and deceased groups, the results for blood tests were, respectively: parathormone 369.87 ± 318.90 and 368.50 ± 501.47 (p > 0.05); creatinine 6.89 ± 2.05 and 5.23 ± 1.15 (p = 0.002); albumine 3.66 ± 0.35 and 3.74 ± 0.644 (p > 0.05); total cholesterol 165.55 ± 45.16 and 169.35 ± 38.68 (p > 0.05); triglycerides 144.57 ± 80.95 and 126.94 ± 77.71 (p > 0.05); HDL 38.27 ± 14.26 and 44.22 ± 10.78 (p > 0.05); calcium 9.40 ± 0.77 and 9.14 ± 0.68 (p > 0.05); KT/V 1.64 ± 0.32 and 1.63 ± 0.27 (p > 0.05). MMSE differed between groups (p = 0.03) and creatinine showed to be a potential death-related factor. GDS had similar scores between the two groups (p = 0.06).
CONCLUSIONS: MMSE scores were directly associated with mortality in older patients submitted to hemodialysis. The correlation between lower serum creatinine level and mortality is possibly caused by a worse nutritional status of those patients.</p
