Background: Health related quality of life (HRQOL) is patient-reported, and an important treatment outcome\nfor patients undergoing renal replacement therapy. Whether HRQOL in dialysis can affect mortality or graft\nsurvival after renal transplantation (RTX) is not determined. The aims of the present study were to investigate\nwhether pretransplant HRQOL is associated with post-RTX patient survival or graft function, and to assess\nwhether improvement in HRQOL from dialysis to RTX is associated with patient survival.\nMethods: In a longitudinal prospective study, HRQOL was measured in 142 prevalent dialysis patients\n(67 % males, mean age 51 Ã?± 15.5 years) who subsequent underwent renal transplantation. HRQOL could\nbe repeated in 110 transplant patients 41 (IQR 34ââ?¬â??51) months after RTX using the self-administered Kidney\nDisease and Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF) measure. Kaplan-Meier plots were utilized for survival\nanalyses, and linear regression models were used to address HRQOL and effect on graft function.\nResults: Follow-up time was 102 (IQR 97ââ?¬â??108) months after RTX. Survival after RTX was higher in patients\nwho perceived good physical function (PF) in dialysis compared to patients with poorer PF (p = 0.019). Low\nscores in the domain mental health measured in dialysis was associated with accelerated decline in graft\nfunction (p = 0.048). Improvements in the kidney-specific domains ââ?¬Å?symptomsââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?effect of kidney diseaseââ?¬Â\nin the trajectory from dialysis to RTX were associated with a survival benefit (p = 0.007 and p = 0.02,\nrespectively).\nConclusion: HRQOL measured in dialysis patients was associated with survival and graft function after RTX.\nThese findings may be useful in clinical pretransplant evaluations. Improvements in some of the kidney-specific\nHRQOL domains from dialysis to RTX were associated with lower mortality. Prospective and interventional\nstudies are warranted.
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