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General dialysis information for the media

Are U.S. kidney patients simply too old to do home dialysis? It doesn't appear so: fully half are working-age (20-64). Plus, motivated patients of any age can do home dialysis—either PD or home hemodialysis—with a helper.

Breakdown of renal patients by age

While the dialysis patient population has more than tripled in the past 15 years, the vast majority of new patients are put on in-center hemo (see blue line, below), while home dialysis therapies have stayed flat or even lost ground.

Breakdown of dialysis patient population

In 2005, the most recent year for which national statistics are available, 94% of ESRD patients were treated with either in-center hemodialysis or a kidney transplant: only 6% of patients were using home dialysis.

Dialysis & transplant: 2005

Excluding transplant, just under 9% of patients use any form of home dialysis.

Dialysis only: 2005

Among new patients who start using a form of home dialysis, CCPD has been gaining ground, CAPD has been losing some, and home hemodialysis is beginning to gain ground, driven by new technology. Even newer emerging technology, the nursing shortage, commitment to home dialysis on the part of the coalition of supporters sponsoring this site, and greater awareness of the benefits of home treatment may help to turn these numbers around.

Trends in home dialysis

There is good news, however! Since the launch of Home Dialysis Central, the numbers of programs that offer home hemodialysis training in the U.S. has shown tremendous growth.

Year Conventional HHD Daily HHD Nocturnal HHD
2004 294 37 73
2005 340 84 95
2006 343 99 99
2007 385 174* 151
Growth 31% 370% 107%

Note: the numbers of daily HHD programs in the Home Dialysis Central database are somewhat under-represented pending receipt of additional programs from NxStage. Growth in daily HHD is actually somewhat higher than this table represents.

Peritoneal dialysis training programs have grown as well.

Year CAPD CCPD
2004 1460 1428
2005 1525 1497
2006 1526 1499
2007 1581 1555
Growth 8% 9%

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