Abstract: aging is a growing public health problem. The number of older adults with end stage renal disease (ESRD) is rising dramatically. Epidemiological surveys in China found that the fastest growing number of dialysis patients are the elderly. Older adults with ESRD face not only the threat of deteriorating kidney function, but also the effects of aging, frailty, and comorbidities. This review discussed the issues related to dialysis in older adults, including assessing whether elderly ESRD patients are suitable for dialysis, whether dialysis meet the overall goals of patients, frailty and cognitive impairment in older dialysis patients, the choice of dialysis methods in older adults, and the decision points of dialysis vascular access.

Key words: Older, Dialysis, End stage renal disease