PLoS ONE (Jan 2016)

The Survival of Roma Minority Patients on Chronic Hemodialysis Therapy - A Romanian Multicenter Survey.

  • Florica Gadalean,
  • Daniel Lighezan,
  • Dana Stoian,
  • Oana Schiller,
  • Romulus Timar,
  • Bogdan Timar,
  • Flaviu Bob,
  • Mihaela Dora Donciu,
  • Mircea Munteanu,
  • Adelina Mihaescu,
  • Adrian Covic,
  • Adalbert Schiller

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0155271
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 5
p. e0155271

Abstract

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OBJECTIVE:The Roma minority represents the largest ethnic group in Central and South-East European countries. Data regarding the mortality in Roma hemodialysis subjects are limited. We evaluated the 3 year mortality of ESRD Roma patients treated with hemodialysis (HD). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING:Our prospective cohort study included 600 ESRD patients on HD therapy recruited from 7 HD centers, from the main geographical regions of Romania. The median age of the patients was 56 (19) years, 332 (55.3%) being males, 51 (8.5%) having Roma ethnicity. RESULTS:Roma ESRD patients initiate dialysis at a younger age, 47.8 years vs. 52.3 years (P = 0.017), present higher serum albumin (P = 0.013) and higher serum phosphate levels (P = 0.021). In the Roma group, the overall 3 year mortality was higher when compared to Caucasians (33.3% vs. 24.8%). The multivariate survival analysis revealed that being of Roma ethnicity is an independent risk factor for mortality (HR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.04-2.91; P = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS:Roma patients with ESRD initiate HD therapy at a younger age as compared to Caucasians. They have a higher 3 year mortality rate and are dying at a younger age. Roma ethnicity represents an independent risk factor for mortality in our cohort.