Stroke-free status and depression scores among Saudi dialysis patients

Abstract

Background: To assess the prevalence of stroke symptoms and depression among Saudi dialysis patients and related factors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional multicentre study of Saudi dialysis patients. Demographics, clinical and laboratory's data were collected. Freedom from stroke symptoms was assessed using the Questionnaire for Verifying Stroke-Free Status and depression using the Geriatric Depression Scale. Results: Five-hundred and forty-nine patients (77.3% response rate); 94.6% were receiving hemodialysis and 5.4% peritoneal dialysis were included in the study. Freedom from stroke was reported in 76.6% of patients, was higher in females (p ¼ 0.07), and was not affected by the presence of diabetes mellitus coronary artery disease or peripheral vascular disease. However, it was significantly lower in hypertensive patients (p ¼ 0.035) and was not affected by age, dialysis duration, Kt/V, albumin or hemoglobin levels. It was, however, more prevalent in the non-depressed patients compared to depressed patients (p ¼ 0.036). Mild and major depression scores were noted in 45.2% and 6.1%, respectively; the depression score being significantly higher in HD than in PD patients (6.3 ± 3.4 vs. 5.0 ± 3.2 p ¼ 0.049) but was not related to sex, employment, vascular access type, age, dialysis duration, Kt/V or serum albumin or hemoglobin levels. Conclusion: A quarter of the patients were not stroke symptom-free and these were more likely the depressed patients, in females, but significantly less in hypertensive patients. Almost half of the patients were depressed with 6.1% having major depression. The depression score was significantly higher in HD than in PD patients.

Prevalence and associated factors of depression among elderly patients attending the primary health clinic in Prince Mansour Military Hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia

“…In a multicenter explorative investigation of dialysis patients in Saudi Arabia, Sheayria et al . [ 36 ] found that 45.2% of the elderly dialysis patients have mild depressive symptoms and 6.1% have major depression. This is higher than the 20% figure for depression prevalence among dialysis patients found in international studies.…”