A new study finds that for some older people kidney failure, Dialysis This is not possible. The study was carried out by Stanford University in the US and suggests considering the procedure more carefully among people aged 75 or 80.

Kidney failure is a condition in which one or both of your kidneys stop working. It can be temporary and develop quickly (acute) or it can be a chronic (long-term) condition that gradually gets worse. Kidney failure is the end stage of kidney disease and can be fatal without treatment. A patient suffering from this condition may survive only a few days or weeks without treatment. One of the treatments includes dialysis.

Kidney failure patients must undergo dialysis because their kidneys are no longer able to filter waste, toxins and excess fluids from the blood. Dialysis performs this filtering process artificially, helping to remove harmful substances and maintain electrolyte and fluid levels. Without dialysis, waste products and excess fluids accumulate to dangerous levels, leading to serious health complications, including high blood pressure, swelling and other life-threatening conditions. Dialysis is vital for kidney failure patients.

The study found that even if dialysis were to be used, it would only add an extra week to the lifespan of those patients. On the other hand, it would increase the time spent in hospital by two weeks or more, which is not a beneficial situation for the parties involved, the team said.

The retrospective study examined the effects of dialysis on older adults. Using electronic health records to mimic a randomized clinical trial, the researchers divided patients into two groups: those who started dialysis at once and those who had to wait at least a month. Nearly 50 percent of patients in the waiting group did not start dialysis for three years.

Individuals who started dialysis immediately survived an average of nine days longer than those who did not, but also required thirteen days longer in hospital.

In addition, patients aged 80 years or older who started dialysis immediately lived an average of 60 days longer but spent 13 more days in the hospital; patients aged 65 to 79 who started dialysis immediately lived an average of 17 days less but spent 14 more days in the hospital.

Maria Montez Rath, a senior research engineer at Stanford University, said that according to the study, starting dialysis as early as possible may increase the chance of survival, but it will also increase the time spent on dialysis and increase the chance of the patient being hospitalized.

Dialysis is often presented as a choice between life and death, causing patients to overestimate the benefits and health consequences. However, the researchers said presenting it as a symptom-reliever helps patients understand its benefits.

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