Typologies of Symptoms and Functions Among Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease and Population Characteristics: A Latent Profile Analysis.
Guoxiang Liu, Bei Yun, Xuanyi Bi and 3 others
PMID 41797436WHAT IT FOUND
Most patients with chronic kidney disease had low or no symptom distress.
Those with diabetes, anaemia or self-pay status were far more likely to have moderate to severe distress and functional impairment. Screen these specific risk factors to identify who needs extra support.
Key findings
01Patients were classified into three groups: 13.9% with moderate to severe distress and impairment, 64.1% with low distress and no impairment, and 22.0% with no distress and no impairment.
02Having diabetes made patients significantly more likely to be in the group with moderate to severe distress and functional impairment compared to the no-distress group.
03Patients who paid for their own medical expenses were significantly more likely to be in the groups with distress and impairment than those with medical insurance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a single hospital in Shanghai, so the findings may not apply to patients in other regions or healthcare systems. The cross-sectional design means the study cannot determine if specific conditions caused the distress or if they just occurred together. The sample size was relatively small (209 patients), which limits the statistical power to detect differences across all CKD stages. The PROMIS-29 tool measures generic symptoms and does not capture CKD-specific issues like dialysis side effects or dietary restrictions.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Soft Science Research Project of Shanghai. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that having diabetes or anaemia causes these specific symptom profiles. The study is cross-sectional, so it only shows that these conditions are associated with higher distress at one point in time. It does not prove that treating the diabetes or anaemia will automatically resolve the psychological or functional symptoms.