“Longer life with less morbidity and with higher quality is possible with longer dialysis sessions performed at night in hemodialysis patients,” study leader and presenter Dr. Ercan Ok said.
In the study, 224 dialysis patients, average aged 45 were switched to overnight 8-hour dialysis for 1 year. “After an adaptation period of a month, all patients slept during the night without any complaint,” Dr. Ok noted.

When these 224 dialysis patients compared with conventional 4-hour thrice-weekly dialysis patients, results shows that the longer dialysis sessions produced far better results, with a 78% reduction in the mortality rate during the study.

Patients with overnight hemodialysis had controlled hypertension and reduction in medication. They also had a lower risk of hypotension during dialysis, according to Dr. Ok.

He also examines that serum phosphate levels range within normal values in the overnight dialysis group, “despite a 72% reduction in medications used to lessen phosphate absorption from the gut. High levels of serum phosphate are known to cause both bone disease and cardiovascular disease.”

Patients receiving 8-hour dialysis also show elevated appetite and increased BMI, accompanied by a rise in their serum albumin levels. Many of them returned to work and reported improved job performance and better cognitive functioning.

He acknowledged that this approach may not be for everyone. “To spend nights outside home may not be acceptable for family reasons. Our experience showed that 20% of patients are willing to be treated with this modality in our country; it may be different in other countries.”

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