Cognitive Function and All Cause Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients

Drew and colleagues examined the association of cognitive impairment, defined by either impairment of executive function or memory, with all cause mortality in a cohort of 300 hemodialysis patients followed for 2.6 years.  145 death events were reported. Lower quartiles of executive function were associated with significant increase in mortality. Likewise, in continues analyses, every SD increase in both memory and executive function was protective for all cause mortality. The mechanisms associated with these findings required further study but it’s possible that executive function is a reflection of generalized poor microvascular disease. 

Post written by Dr. Magdalena Madero, eAJKD Contributor.

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