Conclusions : Compared to age-matched population s , people with ESKD/HD had significantly slower GS and reduced walk distances ; with intervention , the change in the distance walked was significant .
Background : People with end-stage kidney disease ( ESKD ) on hemodialysis ( HD )  commonly have functional impairments .
The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of HD on spatio-temporal characteristics of gait , and effect of exercise on these parameters .
Falls and fall-related injuries in older dialysis patients.
Dialysis patients are increasingly older and more disabled . In community-dwelling seniors without kidney disease , falls commonly predict hospitalization , the onset of frailty , and the need for institutional care . Effective fall prevention strategies are available . On the basis of retrospective data , it was hypothesized that the fall rates of older ( > or = 65 yr ) chronic outpatient hemodialysis ( HD ) patients would be higher than published rates for community-dwelling seniors ( 0.6 to 0.8 falls/patient-year ) . It also was hypothesized that risk factors for falls in dialysis out patients would include polypharmacy , dialysis-related hypotension , cognitive impairment , and decreased functional status . Using a prospect i ve cohort study design , HD patients who were > or = 65 yr of age at a large academic dialysis unit were recruited . All study participants underwent baseline screening for fall risk factors . Patients were followed prospect ively for a minimum of 1 yr . Falls were identified through biweekly patient interviews in the HD unit . A total of 162 patients ( mean age 74.7 yr ) were recruited ; 57 % were male . A total of 305 falls occurred in 76 ( 47 % ) patients over 190.5 person-years of follow-up ( fall-incidence 1.60 falls/person-year ) . Injuries occurred in 19 % of falls ; 41 patients had multiple falls . Associated risk factors included age , comorbidity , mean predialysis systolic BP , and a history of falls . In the HD population , the fall risk is higher than in the general community , and fall-related morbidity is high . Better identification of HD patients who are at risk for falls and targeted fall intervention strategies are required
Conclusions : Compared to age-matched population s , people with ESKD/HD had significantly slower GS and reduced walk distances ; with intervention , the change in the distance walked was significant .
Background : People with end-stage kidney disease ( ESKD ) on hemodialysis ( HD )  commonly have functional impairments .
The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of HD on spatio-temporal characteristics of gait , and effect of exercise on these parameters .