BACKGROUND: Patients with a functioning kidney transplant (Tx) and patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) not in dialysis report better health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than patients requiring dialysis, but poorer than the general population. HRQoL is associated with kidney function, but it is unknown whether the kidney function per se is the main determinant of HRQoL. The aim of this study was to compare the HRQoL in 2 groups of patients with CKD: 1 group with native kidneys only (non-renal replacement therapy [non-RRT] group) and 1 group with a functioning kidney transplant (Tx group).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was designed as a paired cross-sectional single-center study including 38 stable Tx patients age- and gender-matched with 38 non-RRT patients with the same kidney function, CKD stages 3b–4. HRQoL was evaluated using the short form-36 (SF-36) and a visual analogue scale (VAS).

RESULTS: The multi-item scales and summary scores in SF-36 were not significantly different between the 2 groups of patients or the general Norwegian population. However, the non-RRT group scored significantly better than the Tx group when HRQoL was evaluated by VAS. The main determinants for HRQoL in both groups of patients were depression estimated by Beck depression inventory scores and comorbidity expressed by Davies comorbidity index scores.

CONCLUSIONS: HRQoL evaluated by SF-36 in a group of stable Tx patients in CKD stages 3b–4 is comparable to that of a group of non-RRT patients. However, HRQoL VAS was better in the non-RRT group, suggesting that VAS and SF-36 may evaluate different aspects in HRQoL in the same group of patients.

Keywords: chronic kidney disease, Health Related Quality of Life, Short Form-36, Visual Analogue Scale, Kidney Transplantation