Nocturnal haemodialysis is beneficial

Frequent night-time haemodialysis improves a number of clinical symptoms and some aspects of quality of life for kidney patients compared with conventional haemodialysis. Researchers at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Canada assigned 51 patients to receive nocturnal haemodialysis six times per week or conventional haemodialysis three times per week for a period of six months. It was found that the heart enlargement typically seen in dialysis patients was lessened in the group on the night-time dialysis schedule compared with those in the other group. The night-time modality also improved the patients' mineral balance, and it was linked to a drop in blood pressure. In fact, 16 of the 26 patients in that group were able to reduce or discontinue their blood pressure medications compared with 3 of 25 patients in the conventional haemodialysis group. It was also seen that although nocturnal haemodialysis did not improve the overall quality of life, it enhanced certain areas of quality of life that depended on kidney function status. Thus, alterations in the delivery of dialysis may lead to improved patient outcomes.