Fatigue, anxiety, depression and quality of life in kidney transplant recipients, haemodialysis patients, patients with a haematological malignancy and healthy controls.

Background: The impact of haemodialysis (HD) and kidney transplantation on quality of life (QoL) is often underestimated due to a lack of comparative studies with other patient groups.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study in 168 patients including HD patients, kidney transplant recipients (KTR), patients with a haematological malignancy either receiving chemotherapy or in remission and healthy controls. All participants completed the 36-item short form survey of health-related quality of life, the Checklist Individual Strength and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire.

Results: HD patients and haematological patients undergoing chemotherapy were more frequently severely fatigued (53.3% and 50% of cases) compared with KTR (33.3%), haematological patients in remission (23.3%) and healthy controls (12.1%, P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in anxiety rates. HD patients and haematological patients undergoing chemotherapy were most likely to be depressed (33.3% and 25%), compared with 16.7% of KTR, 20% of haematological patients in remission and 8.6% of healthy controls (P = 0.066). KTR reported the largest positive health change (+27%, P < 0.001), but still had a lower overall QoL than healthy controls, comparable to haematological patients in remission. HD and chemotherapy patients reported the lowest QoL scores.

Conclusions: Fatigue and depression are common in HD patients, resulting in a low QoL, comparable to haematological patients receiving chemotherapy. KTR do better, with scores similar to patients with a haematological malignancy in remission, but still have a lower QoL than healthy controls.