Background: The need of collecting data concerning uremic local population requested by EDTA registry and, more recently, by the Italian dialysis and transplant registry (RIDT) has led different Italian regions to organize structures able to give such clinical and epidemiological informations.
Methods: In Aosta Valley (where live nearly 120.000 people) a data collection has been activated since 1981 on paper support and since 1995 (with data from December 1994) on computer registry. If compared to more experienced Italian structures, such as Piedmont and Lombardy regional registries, RDTVA has the advantage of receiving data from a unique Dialysis centre (composed by a hospital area and a limited care centre).
Results: During these years, according to what happened in the rest of Italy, in Aosta Valley the uremic population increased with a per million population (pmp) rate prevalence from 125 patients in 1981 to almost 1000 in 1998. Also the incidence showed a similar trend, with 110 patients/pmp in 1981-82 and 160 in 1997. The gross mortality rate concerning years 1995-98 was about 12%, the main death causes being cardiovascular events (60%), similarly to national data.
Conclusions: Even with the limits deriving from small numbers, RDTVA, because of its favourable position, can play the role of epidemiological observatory for uremic diseases and contribute to future health policy.