Abstract
We analyzed the clinical and social characteristics of chronic renal failure patients on chronic dialysis in Yamagata Prefecture. The duration of most observations was 11 years, i.e., starting with the first record in 1933. In 1993, 1065 patients were undergoing dialysis. The number of new patients treated for end-stage renal disease by dialysis or renal transplantation has continued to rise exponentially at a 5 to 10% annualized growth rate. Male patients had a higher relative risk of chronic renal failure than female patients. Recent evaluation of age and diagnostic category at the time of the initial dialysis session showed that patients with diabetic nephropathy over the age of 50 years have tended to increase. Most patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) selected this methodology themselves, however, 31% of them had to undergo CAPD therapy because of inadequate hospital dialysis services, shunt trouble, or cardiac disease. In order to prevent the development of renal failure, good control of diabetic nephropathy appears to be necessary, especially in the early stage of the disease.
