ESRD in the elderly: The scope of the problem

Abstract

The elderly (age >65 years) and the very elderly patients (age >75 years) constitute the fastest growing segment of patients starting dialysis. One out of every four patients starting dialysis in the USA is above the age of 75 years. There has been a huge increase in octogenarians and nonagenarians starting dialysis. Maintenance hemodialysis (HD) is often the initial dialysis modality of such patients with multiple comorbidities.