Nephrol Dial Transplant (2001) 16: 1338-1342
© 2001 European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association
Dialysis and Transplantation News
The epidemiology of end-stage renal disease in the Baltic countries: an evolving picture
er
evskis21 Azienda Ospedale di Lecco, A. Manzoni Hospital, Lecco, Italy, 2 Department of Internal Medicine, Latvian Medical Academy, Riga, Latvia, 3 Clinic of Nephro-urology, Department of Nephrology, Vilnius University Santariskes Hospital, Vilnius, Lithuania, 4 Dialysis Unit, Tallinn Pelgulinna Hospital, Tallinn, Estonia, 5 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia, 6 Department of Nephrology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Abstract
Introduction. The epidemiology of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and renal replacement therapy (RRT) is under continuous evolution all over the world. Of particular interest is the development of RRT in the countries of the former Soviet bloc which underwent great political and socio-economical changes in the last decade. We report here the epidemiological analysis of ESRD and RRT in the three Baltic countries: Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia.
Subjects and methods. This epidemiological report is based on data from centre questionnaires which were collected from 1996 onwards, with a response rate of 98–99%.
Results. The prevalence/incidence of RRT patients in 1999 were 213/99.5 p.m.p. in Lithuania, 186/45.5 p.m.p. in Estonia and 172/55.8 p.m.p. in Latvia. Haemodialysis (HD) was the most common RRT modality in Lithuania (60% of prevalent patients), but not in Estonia (29%), while in Latvia it was nearly as common as renal transplantation (45 and 46%, respectively). Home HD was not performed. The proportion treated by peritoneal dialysis (PD) was very low in Lithuania (4% of RRT patients), while the percentage was higher in Latvia (9%) and Estonia (20.4%). The percentage of patients on RRT treated by renal transplantation was high throughout, representing the main modality of treatment in Estonia (50.5% of RRT prevalent patients, 94 p.m.p.) and in Latvia (46%, 79 p.m.p.) and being high in Lithuania (36%, 77 p.m.p.). The main renal diseases leading to ESRD were glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis and diabetes.
Conclusion. The epidemiology of RRT in the Baltic countries is undergoing rapid changes. Transplantation has reached an impressive level. A high percentage of RRT patients live with a functioning graft.
Notes
Correspondence and offprint requests to: Prof. Dr Francesco Locatelli, Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Ospedale A. Manzoni, Via Dell'Eremo 11, I-23900 Lecco, Italy.
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