The essential of 2012 results from the French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) ESRD registry

The French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) registry began in 2002 to provide a tool for public health decision support, evaluation and research related to renal replacement therapies (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It is relying on a network of nephrologists, epidemiologists, patients and public health representatives. Continuous registration covers all dialysis and transplanted patients. In 2012, in France, 10,048 patients started a RRT (154 per million inhabitants). Elders provided majority of new patients (median age at RRT start: 70 years old). New patients had a high and age increasing rate of comorbidities, especially diabetes (42% of the new patients) and cardiovascular comorbidities (>50% of the new patients). Like previous years, incidence is stabilized. On December 31, 2012, 73,491 patients were receiving a RRT in France (1127 per million inhabitants, 56% on dialysis and 44% living with a functional renal transplant). More than 50% of patients were undergoing in-center hemodialysis with significant variations among regions. An increase in medical satellite unit hemodialysis but a decrease in self-care unit hemodialysis rates were noticed across the time, whereas peritoneal dialysis remained stable at 7%. Five years after starting RRT, the overall survival rate was 51% but only 16% among patients over 85 years. Mortality rate was highly dependent on treatment and age; transplanted patients aged 60-69 had a 27/1000 patients-year mortality rate versus 133 for a dialysis patient. Patients who started dialysis had a probability of first wait-listing of 4.8% at the start of dialysis (pre-emptive registrations) and 27% at 72 months. Whatever their diabetes status was, patients older than 60 had poor access to the waiting list. Seventeen percent of the patients received a first renal transplant within 15.4 month median time; 3% had received a pre-emptive graft. Ten years after the start of the French ESRD registry, this report provides a comprehensive and nation-wide overview of dialysis and transplantation cares in France, including overseas.