Neurocognitive function and quality of life in relation to hematocrit levels in chronic hemodialysis patients.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the putative association between the levels of hematocrit and improvement of cognitive function as well as quality of life in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).


METHODS
Fifty-six ESRD patients were divided into two groups according to their hematocrit levels: Group A consisted of 28 patients with hematocrit levels lower than the median (27.2 g%), while Group B, the remaining 28 patients, with higher than the median level. Neurocognitive function and the quality of life in these two groups were compared.


RESULTS
Although patients with higher hematocrit levels scored better in the neurocognitive function tests such as the forward digit-span (P=.034) and digit-symbol (P=.023), their quality of life evaluated by three scales (Karnofsky Scale, Index of Well-Being, and SF-36) was not any better than those with lower hematocrit group.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study indicated that in chronic hemodialysis patients, the higher hematocrit levels improve neurocognitive function but not the quality of life.
Lee
Sun-Young
SY
Department of Internal Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Lee
Heon-Jeong
HJ
Kim
Yong-Ku
YK
Kim
Seung-Hyun
SH
Kim
Leen
L
Lee
Min Soo
MS
Joe
Sook-Haeng
SH
Jung
In-Kwa
IK
Suh
Kwang-Yoon
KY
Kim
Hyung-Kyu
HK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014888:Wechsler Scales