Quality of life in CAPD, transplant, and chronic renal failure patients with diabetes.
Although quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome measure, there are few studies of QoL in diabetic patients. We performed a cross-sectional study to assess QoL in such patients comparable for age, sex, and co-morbidity.


METHODS
Group CAPD: DM (n = 19, 12 males), diabetic CAPD patients; group CAPD: no DM (n = 26, 15 males) CAPD patients without diabetes; group TXP (n = 20, 10 males), diabetic transplant patients; and group CKD: DM (n = 20, 11 males), diabetics with chronic kidney disease. Two valid QoL instruments were used: a generic one (SF-36) and one that is disease-specific (RQLP).


RESULTS
As a whole, CAPD patients scored badly as far as concerned the physical domain, but with a good mental adaptation. Diabetic CAPD patients exhibited worse QoL for physical functioning, energy, vitality, leisure activity, and eating/drinking limitations. Diabetic transplant patients exhibited the best QoL. The RQLP instrument had better discriminative power for domains such as eating/drinking, treatment effects, and psychosocial aspects. Using analysis of co-variance and adjusting for age, sex, and co-morbidity, QoL differences disappeared. In conclusion, diabetic CAPD patients exhibited the worst QoL though with a satisfactory mental adaptation, a renal-specific instrument had better discriminative power, and the prevention of co-morbidity is likely to improve QoL in such patients.
Apostolou
Theofanis
T
Evangelismos General Hospital, Athens, Greece. tapostolou@ath.forthnet.gr
Hutchison
Alastair J
AJ
Boulton
Andrew J M
AJ
Chak
Willy
W
Vileikyte
Loretta
L
Uttley
Linda
L
Gokal
Ram
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D003710:Demography; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D018579:Patient Selection; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012919:Social Behavior