Despite considerable differences in technique and blood purification characteristics, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis have been thought to have similar patient outcomes. An inception cohort of 433 end-stage renal disease patients was followed prospectively for a mean of 41 mo. The outcomes of hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients were compared using intention to treat analysis based on the mode of therapy at 3 mo. After adjustment for PD patients less likely to have chronic hypertension and more likely to have diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and cardiac failure at baseline (P