The correlation between the number of vascular risk factors and the onset of hemodialysis with cognitive impairement in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients

Background: Cognitive impairment is common in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, affecting at least 50% due to ischemia linked to impaired vascular function. Changes during dialysis, like water loss and ultrafiltration, disrupt brain blood supply, worsening ischemia and cognitive function impairment. Objective: Analyze the correlation between vascular risk factors, dialysis onset, and cognitive impairment in CKD patients. Methods: This analytic observational study sampled CKD patients on hemodialysis between February-July 2023, using purposive sampling. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and cognitive function was assessed using MOCA-INA. Spearman's rho statistical analysis was employed at a 95% confidence level (p <0.05). Results: Spearman Rho revealed a correlation between hemodialysis for over 5 years and impaired cognitive function (P=0.02). Affected cognitive domains, in sequence, are memory/delayed recall, visuospatial, abstraction, language, attention, and naming. However, the number of vascular risk factors did not correlate with cognitive impairment (P=1.38). Conclusion:CKD patients on hemodialysis for more than 5 years show a correlation with impaired cognitive function, primarily affecting memory/delayed recall, visuospatial, abstraction, language, attention, and naming. Vascular risk factors, however, exhibit no correlation with cognitive impairment.