The population on maintenance dialysis therapy is aging and suffering from many complications. Surveys organized by the Japanese Society of Dialysis Therapy for chronic dialysis patients were reviewed and compared with Medicare data in the U.S.A.. The mean age of patients on chronic dialysis therapy increased by 8.3 years from 46.2 in 1981 to 54.5 in 1990. This rise was mainly due to the increase in age of patients who started dialysis therapy. The mean age when dialysis therapy was initiated was 48.3 years in 1981 but 58.1 years in 1990. The decrease in young dialysis patients was impressive. Patients less than 15 years old on maintenance dialysis decreased one-third during the past 10 years. Long-term hemodialysis patients treated for more than 10 years have increased tremendously from 863 patients to 19, 035 patients during the past 10 years. These changes were similar to those observed in the survey of the Medicare End-stage Renal Disease Program. Patient care systems for long-term dialysis must prepare for changes in the age of the patient population.

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