title: Quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the dimensions of quality of life in the stages of chronic kidney disease and the influence of sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory data.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The information available on the quality of life of patients on conservative treatment and the relationship between the quality of life and glomerular filtration rate is limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  155 patients in stages 1-5 of chronic kidney disease and 36 in hemodialysis were studied. Quality of life was rated by the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-Item (SF-36) and functional status by the Karnofsky Performance Scale. Clinical, laboratory and sociodemographic variables were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Quality of life decreased in all stages of kidney disease. A reduction in physical functioning, physical role functioning and in the physical component summary was observed progressively in the different stages of kidney disease. Individuals with higher educational level who were professionally active displayed higher physical component summary values, whereas men and those with a higher income presented better mental component summary values. Older patients performed worse on the physical component summary and better on the mental component summary. Hemoglobin levels correlated with higher physical component summary values and the Karnofsky scale. Three or more comorbidities had an impact on the physical dimension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quality of life is decreased in renal patients in the early stages of disease. No association was detected between the stages of the disease and the quality of life. It was possible to establish sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory risk factors for a worse quality of life in this population.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Carolina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Milton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urrutia
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Draibe
authors.forename: Luiz Antônio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nogueira-Martins
authors.forename: Ricardo de Castro Cintra
authors.initials: Rde C
authors.lastname: Sesso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors