Cold dialysis and its impact on renal patients’ health: An evidence-based mini review

Chronic renal disease is associated with advanced age, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, musculoskeletal problems and cardiovascular disease, the latter being the main cause of mortality in patients receiving haemodialysis (HD). Cooled dialysate (35 °C-36 °C) is recently employed to reduce the incidence of intradialytic hypotension in patients on chronic HD. The studies to date that have evaluated cooled dialysate are limited, however, data suggest that cooled dialysate improves hemodynamic tolerability of dialysis, minimizes hypotension and exerts a protective effect over major organs including the heart and brain. The current evidence-based review is dealing with the protective effect of cold dialysis and the benefits of it in aspects affecting patients’ quality of care and life. There is evidence to suggest that cold dialysis can reduce cardiovascular mortality. However, large multicentre randomized clinical trials are urgently needed to provide further supporting evidence in order to incorporate cold dialysis in routine clinical practice.