Dialysis Market

Fresenius Medical Care expects the number of dialysisDialysisForm of renal replacement therapy where a semipermeable membrane – in peritoneal dialysis the peritoneum of the patient, in hemodialysis the membrane of the dialyzer – is used to clean a patient’s blood. patients worldwide to grow by about 6% in 2011. Some significant regional differences will remain. We anticipate a 3 to 5% increase in patient numbers in the U.S., Japan, and Western and Central Europe. In these regions, the prevalencePrevalenceNumber of all patients who suffer from a specific disease. of chronic kidney failureChronic kidney failure (end-stage renal disease, ESRD)Permanent failure of the kidney (terminal kidney failure) resulting from slow and progressive loss of the kidney function over several years. Since the renal function cannot be recovered, the patient has to be treated with renal replacement therapy, i.e. kidney transplantation or dialysis. Chronic kidney failure is accompanied by long-term complications such as renal anemia, hypertension and other cardiovascular problems, as well as bone disease, loss of appetite and malnutrition. is already relatively high and patients generally have reliable access to treatment, normally dialysis. In economically weaker regions, the growth rates are even higher with values of up to 10%, and in some countries even more than that. We expect patient numbers to continue to rise in the coming years with annual growth rates remaining at 6%.

Demographic factors are one of the main reasons for the continued growth of the dialysis market, including the aging population and the mounting incidence of diabetesDiabetesA condition characterized by high blood glucose (sugar) resulting from the body’s inability to use glucose efficiently. Insulin helps the body’s cells use glucose. and hypertension – two diseases that often precede end-stage renal disease. Furthermore, dialysis patients’ life expectancy is increasing due to steady improvements in dialysis treatment and the rising standard of living in developing countries.

As a result of the anticipated differences in growth rates, a higher proportion of patients will undergo dialysis treatment in Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa in future. This opens up huge potential for the entire spectrum of dialysis services and products, as more than 80% of the world’s population lives in these regions.

We do not expect significant changes in the distribution of dialysis treatment modalities in 2011 and 2012. HemodialysisHemodialysis (HD)Treatment method for chronic kidney failure where the patient’s blood flows outside the body through disposable bloodlines into a special filter, the dialyzer. The dialysis solution carries away waste products and excess water, and the cleaned blood is returned to the patient. The process is controlled by a hemodialysis machine that pumps blood, adds anticoagulants, regulates the purification process, and controls the mixing of the dialysis solution and its flow rate through the system. A patient typically receives three treatments per week, lasting from three to six hours each.
will remain the treatment of choice, accounting for about 89% of all dialysis therapies. Peritoneal dialysisPeritoneal Dialysis (PD)Dialysis treatment method using the patient’s peritoneum, i.e. the tissue that covers the inner surface of the abdominal cavity and the abdominal organs, as the dialyzing membrane for blood purification. A sterile dialysis solution is introduced and removed through a catheter that has been surgically implanted into the patient’s abdominal cavity. The solution absorbs toxins and excess water. Most treatments are supported by a machine, the cycler, and are administered by the patients in their home or workplace several times a day or during the night.
should continue to be the preferred treatment for about 11% of all dialysis patients.

The volume of the worldwide dialysis market, which according to estimates amounted to about $69 BN last year, is expected to increase by around 4% annually. This is based on the assumption that exchange rates will remain stable in the forecasting period. As a result, the total market could amount to approximately $75 BN by 2012, almost doubling its volume over a period of just ten years.