Background
There is little information about quality of life (QoL) for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) choosing conservative kidney management (CKM). The Frail and Elderly Patients on Dialysis (FEPOD) study demonstrated that frailty was associated with poorer QoL outcomes with little difference between dialysis modalities [assisted peritoneal dialysis (aPD) or haemodialysis (HD)]. We therefore extended the FEPOD study to include CKM patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤10 mL/min/1.73 m2 (i.e. individuals with ESKD otherwise likely to be managed with dialysis).

Methods
CKM patients were propensity matched to HD and aPD patients by age, gender, ethnicity, diabetes status and index of deprivation. QoL outcomes measured were Short Form-12 (SF12), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression score, symptom score, Illness Intrusiveness Rating Scale (IIRS) and Renal Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire. Frailty was assessed using the Clinical Frailty Scale. Generalized linear modelling was used to assess the impact of treatment modality on QoL outcomes, adjusting for baseline characteristics.

Results
In total, 84 (28 CKM, 28 HD and 28 PD) patients were included. Median age for the cohort was 82 (79–88) years. Compared with CKM, aPD was associated with higher SF12 physical component score (PCS) [Exp B (95% confidence interval) = 1.20 (1.00–1.45), P < 0.05] and lower symptom score [Exp B = 0.62 (0.43–0.90), P = 0.01]; depression score was lower in HD compared with CKM [Exp B = 0.70 (0.52–0.92), P = 0.01]. Worsening frailty was associated with higher depression scores [Exp B = 2.59 (1.45–4.62), P < 0.01], IIRS [Exp B = 1.20 (1.12–1.28), P < 0.01] and lower SF12 PCS [Exp B = 0.87 (0.83–0.93), P < 0.01].

Conclusion
Treatment by dialysis, both with aPD and HD, improved some QoL measures. Overall, aPD was equal to or slightly better than the other modalities in this elderly population. However, as in the primary FEPOD study, frailty was associated with worse QoL measures irrespective of CKD modality. These findings highlight the need for an individualized approach to the management of ESKD in older people.