How long can you live with kidney failure with dialysis

  • Life Expectancy
  • Changes
    • What changes occur after stopping dialysis?
  • What Is It
    • What is stage V kidney disease?
  • Causes
    • What causes stage V kidney disease?
  • Treatment
    • How is stage V chronic kidney disease treated?
  • Related Resources
    • Related Resources - How Long Can a Person Live With Stage V Kidney Failure Without Dialysis?

How long can you live with kidney failure with dialysis

Life expectancy for stage V kidney failure without dialysis varies from person to person. However, death is inevitable within a few weeks

Life expectancy for stage V kidney failure without dialysis is not definitive. However, as toxins accumulate in the body and cause uremia, death is inevitable within a few weeks. Even if death does not occur immediately, quality of life dramatically decreases. 

How long a person can live depends on their medical history and other factors, such as:

  • Age (chances of survival decreases with advancing age)
  • Kidney function (lifespan decreases as kidney function decreases)
  • Severity of symptoms
  • Coexisting conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer
  • Compliance to medications, diet and lifestyle factors

According to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), with dialysis stage V kidney disease has a life expectancy of 5-10 years, though many patients have lived well for 20-30 years.

What changes occur after stopping dialysis?

During the final days of life, physical and emotional changes may occur:

  • Lack of appetite
  • Fluid retention
  • Sleeping most of the time
  • Unusual restlessness
  • Disorientation, confusion, and lack of interest in activities
  • Inability to recognize familiar faces
  • Change in skin color and temperature
  • Heavy breathing

How long can you live with kidney failure with dialysis

What is stage V kidney disease?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is divided into five stages based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) scale. A normal GFR range is around 125 mg/dL. Stage V kidney disease occurs when eGFR falls to 15 or less, indicating kidney failure.

Typically, kidneys are responsible for:

  • Filtering fluids, electrolytes, minerals out of the body 
  • Maintaining pH balance
  • Regulating blood pressure
  • Producing erythropoietin, a hormone that contributes to red blood cell production
  • Activating vitamin D for bone strengthening

How long can you live with kidney failure with dialysis

SLIDESHOW

Kidney Stones: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment See Slideshow

How is stage V chronic kidney disease treated?

While there is no cure available for end-stage renal disease, treatment may extend lifespan and provide better quality of life:

Dialysis: Dialysis involves using a machine that helps filter blood by removing toxic waste products and maintains a healthy level of potassium, sodium, bicarbonate, and other chemicals that control blood pressure. If their kidneys have failed, a person will need to be on dialysis for the rest of their life unless they undergo a kidney transplant. Dialysis extends life expectancy and prevents further damage. The types of dialysis are:

Hemodialysis (HD): Can be performed at home or in a dialysis center.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD): Blood is filtered by using blood vessels in the lining of the abdomen along with a solution called dialysate.

Kidney transplant: Kidney transplant involves receiving a healthy kidney from a living or a deceased donor. Anti-rejection medicines are prescribed to avoid organ rejection.

Diet and lifestyle changes and regular follow-ups can also help increase lifespan:

  • Following recommended dietary plans:
    • Kidney-friendly diet, prescribed by a dietitian
    • Limiting the intake of sodium, phosphorous, potassium, and protein-rich or fat-rich foods
  • Exercising regularly
  • Sticking to the dialysis schedule as recommended
  • Avoiding or quitting smoking
  • Limiting alcohol consumption
  • Maintaining a good sleep routine
  • Controlling blood sugar and blood pressure levels
  • Maintaining a healthy body weight

Health News

Medically Reviewed on 1/19/2022

References

Image Source: iStock Images

American Kidney Fund. Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease. https://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/stages-of-chronic-kidney-disease/

National Kidney Foundation. Dialysis. https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/dialysisinfo

Johns Hopkins Medicine. End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/end-stage-renal-failure

What is the most common cause of death in dialysis patients?

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the single most common form of death in dialysis patients, accounting for 20% to 30% of all deaths in this cohort. These patients indeed have a very high burden of coronary artery disease (CAD), and a proportion of SCD events could be due to obstructive CAD.

How long can you live with Stage 5 kidney failure with dialysis?

How long can you live with stage 5 CKD? If you choose to start dialysis treatment, stage 5 kidney disease life expectancy is five to 10 years on average, though some patients have lived on dialysis for 20 years or more.

How many days a dialysis patient can survive?

Someone who starts dialysis in their late 20s can expect to live for up to 20 years or longer, but adults over 75 may only survive for 2 to 3 years. But survival rates of people on dialysis have improved over the past decade and are expected to continue improving in the future.

Can kidneys start working again after dialysis?

The kidneys usually start working again within several weeks to months after the underlying cause has been treated. Dialysis is needed until then. If the kidneys fail completely, the only treatment options available are dialysis for the rest of your life or transplant.