**3. Results**

#### **3.1 Demographic and clinical characteristics**

The median (Md) age was 76 for CT and 65 for the RPP. The CT group was predominantly male. A significant difference (p=0.037) between the age of males (Md=63) and females


RPP: Renal Protection Program. CT: Conventional treatment; Md: Median. Min: minimum value. Max: maximum value.

Table 1. Distribution of demographic and clinical characteristics of predialysis patients with chronic renal failure. Medellin, 2007-2008.

purpose, the t-student test for independent samples or the Mann-Whitney U test were used. Likewise, the changes in HRQOL values within each group were compared using the t test for related samples or Wilcoxon's rank sum test. The report was generated by analyzing the means in order to establish comparisons between our results and the scientific literature.

For each summary score and dimension of the HRQOL perceived after one follow-up year, the adjusted mean was calculated to compare both interventions using an analysis of covariance model (ANCOVA) and a two-way analysis of variance adjusted for gender and history of hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia. The ANCOVA's covariables were: the HRQOL scores obtained at the start of the study, age, and stage of the condition. Furthermore, the effect size of HRQOL differences was calculated using Cohen's effect size index and its corresponding Hedges' bias correction formula (Cohen, 1988). All analyses

The median (Md) age was 76 for CT and 65 for the RPP. The CT group was predominantly male. A significant difference (p=0.037) between the age of males (Md=63) and females

Age 65 (18-98) 76 (31-97) <0.001

Hemoglobin 13.6 (4.9-19.8) 14.5 (10.2-17.5) 0.001 Glomerular Filtration Rate 51 (2.1-147) 47 (16.6-115.8) 0.027 Body Mass Index 26.1 (18.2-46.5) 25.3 (15.1-39.1) 0.149 Mean Arterial Pressure 93.3 (75-123.3) 93.3 (58.3-120.7) 0.529

Male 77 (52.0) 119 (82.1) <0.001 Female 71 (48) 26 (27.9)

1 and 2 44 (29.7) 18 (12.4) <0.001 3, 4 and 5 104 (70.3) 127 (87.6)

 Arterial Hypertension 141 (95.3) 133 (91.7) 0.218 Diabetes 60 (40.5) 44 (30.3) 0.068 Dyslipidemia 92 (62.2) 106 (73.1) 0.045

RPP: Renal Protection Program. CT: Conventional treatment; Md: Median. Min: minimum value.

Table 1. Distribution of demographic and clinical characteristics of predialysis patients with

Characteristic RPP n=148 CT n=145 P value Md(Min-Max) Md(Min-Max)

n (%) n (%) P value

were conducted using the program SPSS version 15.

**3.1 Demographic and clinical characteristics** 

**3. Results** 

Gender

Stage

Comorbidities

Max: maximum value.

chronic renal failure. Medellin, 2007-2008.

(Md=68) was found in the RPP group. Clinical parameters such as arterial pressure, serum creatinine, and body mass index showed no significant differences between the study groups. For the CT group, serum hemoglobin values were significantly higher, and the glomerular filtration rate was lower. Most patients in both healthcare providing institutions had a history of arterial hypertension (90%) and dyslipidemia (60%). Distribution by stages showed that patients joined the Renal Protection Program at early stages of their condition (1 and 2=29.7 %), whereas CT patients requested treatment when their disease was at later stages (1 and 2=12.4%). See Table 1.
