Abstract

Introduction: Patients suffering from final stage kidney disease (ESRD) and undergo an inveterate haemodialysis often suffer from depression and dementia. Many of them were driven to ESRD through the disease of Diabetes Mellitus (DM). However, the relation between diabetes and depression and/or dementia to those patients who are subjected to dialysis has not yet been efficiently investigated.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of diabetes on depression and dementia for the patients who undergo continuous dialysis.

Methodology: 53 patients of an average age 69.57 ± 13.02 years (Male/Female=38/15) out of which 27 were diabetic and 26 were not, who were undergoing chronic dialysis for 28.34±56,36 months. All the patients provided replies to the standardized questionnaires “Mini Mental State Examination” (MMSE) and “Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale” (HADS) in the form of an interview during dialysis so that to ascertain the level of depression and dementia. Moreover, blood samples were taken in order to determine haemoglobin, the efficiency of the dialysis (kt/V) the levels of natrium, potassium, calcium and phosphorus in their blood, as well as the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP).

Results: The level of depression and dementia of the whole of the patients examined was correspondent to a moderate level of illness (13.91±10.56 and 15.00±5.49 respectively). In a comparison between the diabetics and the non-diabetics the results indicated a statistically notable difference for the patients suffering from diabetes who displayed a high-level depression (17.63±10.63 vs 10.04±9.15, p