Introduction:

Dialysis patients exhibit the poorer quality of life outcomes compared to the general population. Among several factors, such reduced quality of life has been associated with the dialysis technique, although without sufficient evidence.

Objective:

To understand the influence of dialysis technique on health-related quality of life and analyze the most influential variables in each modality.

Methodology:

A systematic review based on the PRISMA statement was conducted. Ten articles were analyzed from the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Original articles in both English and Spanish that compared health-related quality of life between both dialysis modalities were included.

Results:

Ten articles were included (6 observational studies and 4 systematic reviews). Key variables emerged, including the comparison of health-related quality of life between peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis, and those variables most influential in the perception of quality of life (age, female gender, comorbidity, education, loneliness, marital status, unemployment, pain, physical functioning, and social support).

Conclusions:

The results demonstrate a better perception of the quality of life among peritoneal dialysis patients in various aspects, partly because they are younger, more autonomous, have fewer associated pathologies, and receive more social support. However, not all studies are consistent with these results or find differences between one technique and another regarding the perception of health-related quality of life.