| Background and objectives:Hemodialysis patients are at high risk for cognitive impairment. And serious cognitive impairment is associated with high risks of death, dialysis withdrawal, hospitalization, and disability among dialysis patients. Furthermore, we can estimate people’s brain function and the level of brain health by their cognitive ability.And cognitive impairment increases the risk of death. In China, cognitive impairment, including dementia, of hemodialysis patients is poorly recognized. This study aimed to conduct an preliminary investigation in cognitive function of hemodialysis and to explore the risk factors of cognitive impairment.Subjects and methods:A Cross-sectional study was conducted of71consecutive patients who were receiving maintenance hemodialysis in the Department of Nephrology of the third hospital of Hebei medical university during2012.1-2012.3.1n the71patients,28cases (39.4%) are the patients with primary disease of chronic glomerulonephritis,11cases (15.5%) with diabetes mellitus,9cases (12.7%) with hypertension; consisting of37men (52.1%) and34women (47.9%); the average age is53.1±15.8years old, with the minimum age of22and the maximum age of83; the average dialysis age is39.7±29.6months, which distributed from4months to140months.First, Gathering patients’ personal information, such as sex, age, dialysis age, primary disease, past medical history, the blood pressure during hemodialysis, and so on. Then, we measured cognitive function in patients by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA, total score<26means cognitive impairment; if years of schooling<12, add1point). All of the invastigations was completed by the same investigator at the time before hemodialysis. At the same time, estimating the level of abdominal aortic calcification by plain abdominal X-ray (lateral).Influential factors of cognitive function were analyzed by multiple stepwise regression.Results:Of71subjects who completed the investigation,45cases were classified with cognitive impairment and the prevalence of cognitive impairment reached63.4%. The patients were divided into two groups, one is cognitive impairment group (Moca score <26), the other one is normal group (Moca score≥26).We compared several influencing factors between those two groups, such as age, sex, schooling years, dialysis years, blood preasure, vascular calcification, and so on. Finally, multi-factor Logistic regression analysis indicated that female (OR=3.542, P<0.05) and less years of schooling (OR=-0.803, P<0.05) were independent risk factors of cognitive impairment in hemodialysis patients.Conclusion:Hemodialysis patients are at high risk for cognitive impairment. Male and less education time were its independent risk factors. |
