Family Members’ Education Level Impacts Peritoneal Dialysis Patient Outcomes

Family members’ education level was found to be a novel predictor of patient outcomes in a PLOS ONE study of 2264 patients on chronic peritoneal dialysis who were followed for an average of 27.6 months. Using elementary school or lower as reference, premature mortality risks during the study were 32%, 36%, and 34% reduced when family members had middle school, high school, and more advanced levels of education, respectively. The patients’ level of education was not linked with premature mortality risk, and neither patients’ nor family members’ education levels correlated with risks for cardiovascular death or initial-episode peritonitis.