The timing of dialysis initiation affects the incidence of renal replacement therapy.
BACKGROUND
Variations in the timing of dialysis initiation may explain some geographical variations in renal replacement therapy (RRT) incidence, but this effect has never been quantified.


METHODS
Using data from the French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network registry, we quantified the association between RRT incidence in 2006-07 and median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values before starting dialysis at the administrative district level with geographically appropriate methods.


RESULTS
Crude RRT incidence varied from 80.4 to 238.6 pmi between administrative districts, and median eGFR at dialysis initiation from 5.9 to 11.8 ml/min/1.73 m(2). Age- and sex-adjusted RRT incidence, associated with a 1.2-ml/min/1.73m(2) increase in median eGFR, rose 8% (4-13%) before and 9% (5-13%) after controlling for the effect of nine potential socioeconomic and medical risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The impact of increased eGFR at initiation should be taken into account in guidelines recommending earlier dialysis start.
Couchoud
Cécile
C
REIN registry, Biomedicine Agency, La Plaine-Saint Denis, France. cecile.couchoud@biomedecine.fr
Guihenneuc
Chantal
C
Bayer
Florian
F
Stengel
Bénédicte
B
D000328:Adult; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors