The health and social costs of chronic kidney disease in Italy

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease is growing as a global public health problem throughout the world. In Italy, CKD is becoming increasingly common with 52,777 patients treated with dialysis in 2010, about 10,000 new patients/years in dialysis from 2010.  The impact on the health care system includes € 2.1 billion/year for dialysis plus € 338 million for indirect costs. Aim of the present analysis was to explore socio-economical variables in the management of CKD, and assess direct and indirect health costs and NHS resources consumption. The overall cost for patients in dialysis is about 44,000 €/years for hemodialysis and 30,000 €/years for peritoneal dialysis with different resources consumption over the different stage disease. The possibility of reducing the progression of renal damaging and beginning of dialysis may induce a low expenditure for the Italian NHS.