Annual Mortality Rate for Hemodialysis Patients

Regional Variations in Hemodialysis Mortality

The annual mortality rate for hemodialysis patients ranges from approximately 17-20% in the United States, with significant regional variations worldwide, including lower rates in countries like Japan (less than 10%) and varying rates across different regions in China (up to 11.2%) 1, 2
In the United States, the annual mortality rate for hemodialysis patients has historically been around 20% per year (as of 2002 data), with some improvement noted in the HEMO Study showing approximately 17% annual mortality 2
In China, according to the 2017-2018 China Kidney Disease Network (CK-NET) data report, regional variations exist with the highest mortality rate for hemodialysis patients observed in Zhejiang province at 11.2% in 2017 1, 3
Japan consistently demonstrates significantly better survival outcomes with annual mortality rates less than 10%, which cannot be explained by differences in statistical methodology according to the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) 2

The all-cause hospitalization rate for dialysis patients was reported as 2.42 per person per year in 2017 3
In-hospital mortality rates for hemodialysis patients were reported at 1.23% per hospitalization event 3
Cardiovascular disease was the most frequent cause of hospitalization among hemodialysis patients (33.68%) 3

Regional variations in mortality highlight the importance of examining local practices and patient characteristics that may contribute to better outcomes 1, 2
Cardiovascular disease is highly prevalent among dialysis patients (43.01% in 2017 according to CK-NET data), with coronary heart disease (37.26%) and heart failure (14.51%) being the most common 3