DIALYSIS IN 2012 Could longer and more frequent haemodialysis improve outcomes?

Patients with end-stage renal disease typically receive three 3-4 h haemodialysis sessions per week. Although available data from well-powered randomized trials are limited, studies published in 2012 provided new evidence that haemodialysis regimens with longer treatment times and/or a higher frequency of sessions might reduce the high morbidity and mortality of patients on maintenance dialysis. Mehrotra, R. & Himmelfarb, J. Nat. Rev. Nephrol. 9, 74-75 (2013); published online 8 January 2013; doi:10.1038/nrneph.2012.287