Shah S, et al. - Researchers determined the influence of poor functional status and pre-dialysis health status on clinical outcomes in elderly dialysis patients, by analyzing a retrospective cohort of 49,645 incident end stage renal disease patients that initiated dialysis between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008 from the United States Renal Data System with linked Medicare data covering at least 2 years prior to dialysis initiation. At dialysis initiation, poor functional status was noted in 18.7%, at least 1 pre-dialysis hospitalization in 88.9%, and no receipt of pre-dialysis nephrology care in 27.8%. In elderly patients with end stage renal disease, poor functional status was found to be related to higher odds of initiating hemodialysis. Moreover, in these subjects, poor functional status amplified the risk of central venous catheter use and was identified as an independent predictor of 1-year mortality.