0001) or other hospital patients (P < 0.0001). In addition, their arterioles (mean difference
−18.0 μm, 95%CI −12.88 to −23.08, P < 0.01) and venules (mean difference −25.3 μm, 95%CI −17.09 to −33.52, P < 0.01) were narrower. Microvascular retinopathy was still more common in patients with OSA, and arteriolar and venular narrowing persisted after adjusting for age, BMI, mean arterial pressure, smoking and dyslipidemia. Conclusions: Patients Endocrinology antagonist with OSA have more small vessel disease than those with COPD and other hospital patients, with worse microvascular/hypertensive retinopathy and narrower vessels. 180 WHAT IS THE HEALTH LITERACY OF RENAL PATIENTS ? RESULTS OF A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY K LAMBERT1, M LONERGAN1, P RUSSELL1, K MURALI1, J MULLAN2, K MANSFIELD2 1Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, NSW; 2Graduate School of Medicine, University of
Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia Aim: To investigate the prevalence of low health literacy in a cross sectional sample of peritoneal dialysis (PD), haemodialysis (HD) and kidney transplant patients. Background: Health Literacy is the ability to seek, understand and utilise health information. Low health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes. There is limited research regarding the health literacy of renal patients or on the use of the Health Literacy Management Scale (HeLMS). This relatively new tool, unlike other health literacy tools, allows researchers to investigate more thoroughly the domains of seeking, understanding and utilising health information. Methods: Ethics approval was Abiraterone granted from the local ethics committee. Invitations to participate were sent to 92 HD, 46 PD and 145 transplant patients. Exclusion criteria included patients with known dementia or cognitive impairment based on formal assessment. Health Literacy was assessed using the HeLMS tool. Results: Recruitment is ongoing. To date, 65 patients have been assessed (n = 30 HD, n = 24 PD and n = 11 transplant patients). Preliminary analysis indicates
no significant differences between groups for total scores in each of the eight health literacy domains measured. Sub Demeclocycline group analysis indicates that PD patients score significantly lower on the domains of ‘reading written information’ (P = 0.03) and ‘reading health information’ (P = 0.04). Moreover, 31% of HD patients and 59% of PD patients reported ‘difficulty finding the motivation to manage their health’. Finally, more than 40% of each of group reported difficulty ‘understanding health information’. Conclusions: Many renal patients struggle to understand health information and to manage their health. How this impacts on self management requires further investigation. Further longitudinal studies in these groups and in those approaching dialysis is also required.