Increasing hemodialysis sessions from three times a week to up to six could extend patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) survival, but the cost would be prohibitive. That's the conclusion of a recent study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
 
According to researchers, there are two options that would tip the cost-effectiveness back into economically favorable territory - reducing treatment cost by 32 percent to 43 percent or making treatment so effective the need for hospitalization would be eliminated. The standard hemodialysis regimen is three days a week for 3.5 hours, but several studies have reported improved health-related quality of life with more frequent sessions.

This article originally appeared in the August 2008 issue of Renal Flash.