NEFROLOGIA. Vol. XIX. Suplemento 1. 1999 CONTENTS FIFTH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM «INSTITUTO "REINA SOFIA" DE INVESTIGACION NEFROLOGICA» Segovia, November 19-20th, 1998 Guest editors Fernando Alvarez-Ude, José Miguel López-Novoa and Francisco Ortega I. INTRODUCTION F. Ortega and L. Hernando II. MOLECULAR BASES OF RENAL AGING A) Molecular bases of cell apoptosis and its relationship with renal diseases J. X. Comella, N. Llecha, V. J. Yuste, J. Boix, I. Sánchez and J. R. Bayascas B) Morphological and functional characteristics of aging kidney M. Arévalo C) Changes of endothelium in aging R. Maeso, N. de las Heras, J. Navarro-Cid, S. Vázquez-Pérez, E. Cediel, V. Lahera and M.ª V. Cachofeiro D) Reactive oxygen species and age-related renal failure M. C. Iglesias, M. P. Ruiz Torres, F. J. O'Valle, D. Rodríguez-Puyol and M. Rodríguez-Puyol III. TREATMENT OF RENAL FAILURE IN THE ELDERLY A) Metabolic control and endothelial dysfunction in diabetic rats C. F. Sánchez-Ferrer, J. Ángulo, S. Vallejo, C. Peiró, J. L. LLergo, A. Sánchez-Ferrer, E. Cercas and L. Rodríguez-Mañas B) Hypertension and diabetes: treatment in aging patients J. F. Macías and M. Reverte C) Treatment of end-stage renal failure in the aging patient M. F. Michelis IV. HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS IN RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY A) The CHOICE Study: A National Study of dialysis outcomes in the United States N. R. Powe and N. E. Fink B) Health related quality of life of the elderly patient in renal replacement therapy P. Rebollo, F. Ortega, X. Badía, F. Alvarez-Ude, J. Baltar, F. Valdés, C. Caramelo and J. Alvarez-Grande C) Factors affecting health related quality of life in predialysis, dialysis and kidney transplant patients R. Jofré