Dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (DD-CKD), a severe form of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), currently affects more than three million patients globally. Incidence rates continue to rise, driven by aging populations and an increasing prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Despite recent advances in dialysis technology, individuals with DD-CKD persistently experience high mortality rates and significant morbidity. Common complications include cardiovascular disorders (e.g., arrhythmias and heart failure), infection risks such as vascular access-associated sepsis, and malnutrition. Presently, clinical management primarily prioritizes dialysis adequacy, electrolyte balance, and anemia control. Nonetheless, critical gaps remain in adequately addressing patient-centered outcomes, including mental health, functional status, and social reintegration. Furthermore, New challenges include optimizing dialysis modalities (e.g., home-based peritoneal dialysis vs. in-center hemodialysis), integrating precision biomarkers, and leveraging digital health tools (e.g., AI-driven remote monitoring). This Research Topic seeks to synthesize robust evidence concerning these complex issues, emphasizing personalized care pathways and multidisciplinary collaborations aimed at enhancing survival outcomes and improving the overall quality of life for patients with DD-CKD.
This Research Topic aims to address identified gaps in DD-CKD management by fostering innovative and solution-oriented research across several critical domains. First, it emphasizes clinical optimization, advocating strategies intended to enhance dialysis efficacy while simultaneously reducing associated complications, particularly cardiovascular events and infection risks. Second, the initiative prioritizes patient-centered care, seeking to improve patients' quality of life through comprehensive psychosocial support, targeted nutritional interventions, and integrated multidisciplinary approaches. Third, the Research Topic encourages investigations into advanced technological solutions—including artificial intelligence applications, wearable devices, and telemedicine—that facilitate real-time patient monitoring and support personalized therapeutic management. Last, it underscores equity and accessibility, targeting the reduction of disparities in dialysis outcomes related to socioeconomic factors, geographic location, and demographic characteristics. By consolidating contemporary, high-quality evidence, this Research Topic endeavours to inform clinical practice guidelines, influence relevant healthcare policy, and stimulate new research directions, ultimately redefining established management paradigms for DD-CKD.
We welcome submissions of original research, reviews, case reports, and clinical trials for this topic. To further enhance our understanding and treatment of these complex diseases, we encourage submissions across a broad spectrum of related themes, particularly: • Dialysis modality optimization: Comparative effectiveness studies of hemodialysis versus peritoneal dialysis; feasibility and impact of home-based dialysis approaches. • Complication management: Innovative strategies aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk, preventing infections, and effectively managing anemia and mineral-bone disorders. • Nutrition and metabolism: Interventions targeting protein-energy wasting, optimization of micronutrient supplementation, and strategies to modulate the gut microbiome to improve metabolic health. • Technology-driven solutions: Applications of AI algorithms for predicting dialysis outcomes, adoption of remote patient-monitoring systems, and use of wearable sensor technologies. • Psychosocial and ethical dimensions: Enhanced mental health support, implementation of shared decision-making frameworks, and integration of multidisciplinary care models.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Case Report
Classification
Clinical Trial
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
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Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
