The relationship between intradialytic hypotension and health-related quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis: a cross-sectional study

The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of hemodialysis patients is significantly lower than that of age-matched counterparts. As one of the most common and serious complications of hemodialysis, intradialytic hypotension was associated with higher mortality and hospitalization. However, the relationship between intradialytic hypotension and HRQOL in hemodialysis patients is still unknown. This cross-sectional study explored the relationship between intradialytic hypotension and HRQOL of hemodialysis patients. A total of 479 hemodialysis patients, with a mean age of 54.5 years and 61.8% of them male, from five dialysis centers in Suzhou, China, were recruited. The Kidney Disease and Quality of Life questionnaire was used to assess HRQOL. The blood pressure of 36 consecutive hemodialysis sessions before the survey was collected from medical records, which was used to assess the incidence of intradialytic hypotension. The multivariable linear regression analysis indicated that the frequency of intradialytic hypotension had a significantly negative relationship with six out of eight generic domains, five out of twelve disease-specific domains, and the physical component summary of HRQOL. This study revealed that the occurrence of intradialytic hypotension was negatively related to HRQOL in hemodialysis patients. Prevention of intradialytic hypotension is needed in this population.