Rapid and Simultaneous Initiation of Guideline-Directed Kidney Therapies in Patients with CKD and Type 2 Diabetes

The global incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to rise, with type 2 diabetes as a major contributor. At any stage of CKD, patients with concurrent CKD and type 2 diabetes are at heightened cardiovascular risk and have a greater likelihood of dying from cardiovascular causes than progressing to kidney failure. Consequently, the use of \u27four pillars\u27 of CKD therapy, including renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi), sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (ns-MRA), and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs), has been advocated to reduce cardiovascular-kidney risk. While these therapies can mitigate cardiovascular and kidney events when used individually, the residual risks of these events remain high across major clinical trials testing these therapies separately as well as in real-world clinical settings. This raises the question about when to optimally initiate these therapies, including strategies that start these agents in rapid sequence, or even simultaneously, in order to reduce long-term risk, thereby mirroring best-practices with rapid titration schedules in patients with heart failure. However, initiating all four therapies simultaneously in the setting of CKD has not yet been tested due to lack of data on safety and tolerability in this high risk population. Data regarding the safety profile of rapid sequence initiation remain limited. Therefore, our aim was to review the existing evidence on the safety profiles of guideline-recommended therapies and discuss the challenges associated with rapid sequence initiation of these treatments in patients with CKD

Emergency Department Interventions for Youth With Assault-Related Injuries: A Scoping Review

Assault-related injuries in youth are associated with poor outcomes related to physical and mental health. These youth often seek acute injury-related care in the emergency department (ED), making this an important location for violence prevention and intervention efforts. This scoping review sought to describe ED-initiated and ED-based interventions for youth with assault-related injury. We searched 6 databases from their inception to October 2023: Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and CINAHL. We included original research on interventions for youth (0 to 18 years) presenting to the ED with assault-related injury (including firearm-related injury). We excluded non-English studies, conference proceedings, and editorials. Two independent reviewers performed title and abstract screening, full text review, and data abstraction and synthesis. We found 5,021 unique articles and excluded 4,955 after the title and abstract screening. The remaining 66 articles underwent full text review, and 25 were included. The primary types of ED interventions identified were case management, behavioral and psychosocial interventions, and mentorship. Although all interventions were initiated in the ED, the majority primarily occurred following discharge, required high levels of resources, and were often performed by hospital-based personnel in partnership with community-based organizations. Most studies described outcomes related to injury recidivism, criminal justice involvement, violence-related risk factors, health care usage, and mortality. Few described strengths-based and other quality-of-life outcomes. Although many studies demonstrated improved outcomes with interventions, they were often limited by sample size, study attrition, and short-term follow-up. Overall, our findings indicate that current research on ED interventions for youth with assault-related injuries is skewed toward resource-intensive services such as hospital-based violence intervention programs. Further work is needed to develop, implement, and rigorously evaluate community-informed ED-based interventions that could complement these resource-intensive interventions. Future studies should also examine strengths-based and patient-centered outcomes

Association of Race and Ethnicity With Emergency Room Rate of Migraine Diagnosis, Testing, and Management in Children With Headache

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Headache evaluation and treatment are believed to be influenced by race and ethnicity. Specific headache diagnosis assigned in the pediatric emergency department (ED) may compound disparities. We sought to investigate racial and ethnic disparities in the diagnosis, testing, and treatment of pediatric patients with headache presenting to the ED. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of ED visits from 49 children\u27s hospitals between 2016 and 2022 from the Pediatric Health Information System, an administrative database of ED and hospitalized encounters within children\u27s hospitals in the United States. Index encounters in the ED from patients (aged 5-21 years, median age 13 [10-15]) with a primary diagnosis of migraine, headache, new daily persistent headache, or tension-type headache were included. Encounters with trauma, infection, and malignancy where secondary headache was possible were excluded. The primary outcomes were the rates of migraine diagnosis, testing, and treatment. We used generalized estimating equations to estimate associations between race and ethnicity and outcomes after adjusting for demographic factors, medical complexity, visit timing, and final headache diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 309,678 encounters were included while 61,677 repeat visits, 81,821 visits with diagnoses suggestive of secondary headache, and 5,714 visits from 3 hospitals with sparse data on patient race/ethnicity were excluded. Of 160,466 eligible visits (59.8% female), 41% were by non-Hispanic White (NHW) children, 24.8% non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and 26.0% Hispanic/Latino (HL). NHW children were more frequently diagnosed with migraine (45.5% vs NHB 28.2% and HL 28.3%, p \u3c 0.001). NHB and HL children compared with NHW children received less testing including brain MRI scans (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: NHB 0.56 [95% CI 0.46-0.69] and HL 0.54 [0.36-0.82]). There was no difference in the proportion of visits without administration of headache-related medications (NHW 23.3% vs NHB 24.6% and HL 23.4%, p = 0.64). NHB and HL children were more likely to receive only oral medications (aOR: NHB 1.37 [1.2-1.56] and HL 1.54 [1.34-1.76]) and less likely to be admitted inpatient (aOR: NHB 0.8 [0.66-0.97] and HL 0.65 [0.44-0.94]). DISCUSSION: NHB and HL children in the pediatric ED with headache receive fewer migraine diagnoses, less testing, and less intensive treatment compared with NHW children. Beyond affecting headache management, this inequity in migraine diagnosis requires further consideration to include children from marginalized racial and ethnic groups in future migraine research

Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Prognosis for Fontan-Associated Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Exploratory Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Patients with Fontan circulation are at risk of progressive liver disease, but the prevalence and risk factors for Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to review unbiased data on FALD prevalence, diagnostic methods, risk factors, and prognostic significance, and to undertake exploratory meta-analysis on available data. METHODS: This systematic review included studies with unselected FALD screening. Outcomes were imaging or biopsy-proven cirrhosis, advanced fibrosis, portal hypertension, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Exploratory meta-analysis was performed, as well as subgroup analyses and meta-regression to explore contributors towards outcome heterogeneity. RESULTS: Thirty-seven studies comprising 5,701 patients were included, with a median of 17 years of follow-up post-Fontan completion. All estimates of FALD were highly heterogeneous, reflecting variable patient factors and institutional practices. Cirrhosis was diagnosed in 21% of patients, but ranged from 0% to 76%. Advanced fibrosis without cirrhosis was noted in 30%, portal hypertension in 17%, and hepatocellular carcinoma in 2%, also with significant heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression highlighted several factors that contributed to such heterogeneity. It was found that cirrhosis was less commonly diagnosed by biopsy than by imaging (10% vs 26%). Other risk factors for cirrhosis included years post-Fontan completion, atriopulmonary Fontan, moderate or greater ventricular dysfunction, and higher pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Qualitative synthesis noted FALD to be associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Liver disease is common post-Fontan completion, though prevalence varies widely. Several risk factors should guide patient screening. A universal, prognostically meaningful FALD definition is needed to advance research and clinical care

Child Opportunity Index is Not Associated With Cleanliness in Patients With Anorectal Malformations Treated at Pediatric Colorectal Centers: A Multi-Institutional Study

BACKGROUND: Individually collected social determinants of health (SDOH) have been associated with negative outcomes in children with anorectal malformations (ARMs). Our aim was to assess whether the Child Opportunity Index (COI) is associated with bowel management strategy and fecal cleanliness in patients with ARM managed at specialized pediatric colorectal centers. We hypothesized that children from low COI would have lower rates of cleanliness. METHODS: A multi-institutional retrospective review evaluated children ≥4 years old with ARM treated at centers participating in the Pediatric Colorectal and Pelvic Learning Consortium (PCPLC), excluding patients with ostomies. The primary exposure was COI, obtained by ZIP code. The primary outcome was fecal cleanliness, defined as ≤1 weekly stool accident. Additional variables evaluated included demographics, ARM severity, bowel management type, medical comorbidities, and complications in those undergoing antegrade continence enema procedures. COI groups were compared for trend (p-value ≤0.05 as significant). RESULTS: The cohort included 550 patients, most (75.1%) residing in moderate, high, or very high opportunity areas. There were no differences in ARM severity between COI groups. Stratified by age, there were no differences in fecal cleanliness (p = 0.788) or bowel management strategy (p = 0.224) by COI. There were few overall complications from ACE placement (12.3%), but ACE complications were more common in children from low-opportunity areas (22.2% vs 2.9%; p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Contrary to hypothesized, children with anorectal malformations managed at tertiary institutions within PCPLC do not differ by COI in bowel management strategy or fecal cleanliness outcome. Further investigation into individual disparities may be more important in these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III = retrospective comparative study

Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and combination medications (hereafter collectively referred to as GLP-1s) are shifting the treatment landscape for obesity. However, real-world challenges and limited clinician and public knowledge on nutritional and lifestyle interventions can limit GLP-1 efficacy, equitable results, and cost-effectiveness. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify pragmatic priorities for nutrition and other lifestyle interventions relevant to GLP-1 treatment of obesity for the practicing clinician. METHODS: An expert group comprising multiple clinical and research disciplines appraised the scientific literature, informed by expert knowledge and clinical experience, to identify and summarize relevant topics, priorities, and emerging directions. RESULTS: GLP-1s reduce body weight by 5% to 18% in trials, with modestly lower effects in real-world analyses, and multiple demonstrated clinical benefits. Challenges include side effects, especially gastrointestinal; nutritional deficiencies due to calorie reduction; muscle and bone loss; low long-term adherence with subsequent weight regain; and high costs with resulting low cost-effectiveness. Numerous practice guidelines recommend multicomponent, evidence-based nutritional and behavioral therapy for adults with obesity, but use of such therapies with GLP-1s is not widespread. Priorities to address this include: (a) patient-centered initiation of GLP-1s, including goals for weight reduction and health; (b) baseline screening, including usual dietary habits, emotional triggers, disordered eating, and relevant medical conditions; (c) comprehensive exam including muscle strength, function, and body composition assessment; (d) social determinants of health screening; (e) and lifestyle assessment including aerobic activity, strength training, sleep, mental stress, substance use, and social connections. During GLP-1 use, nutritional and medical management of gastrointestinal side effects is critical, as is navigating altered dietary preferences and intakes, preventing nutrient deficiencies, preserving muscle and bone mass through resistance training and appropriate diet, and complementary lifestyle interventions. Supportive strategies include group-based visits, registered dietitian nutritionist counseling, telehealth and digital platforms, and Food is Medicine interventions. Drug access, food and nutrition insecurity, and nutrition and culinary knowledge influence equitable obesity management with GLP-1s. Emerging areas for more study include dietary modulation of endogenous GLP-1, strategies to improve compliance, nutritional priorities for weight maintenance post-cessation, combination or staged intensive lifestyle management, and diagnostic criteria for clinical obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence-based nutritional and lifestyle strategies play a pivotal role to address key challenges around GLP-1 treatment of obesity, making clinicians more effective in advancing their patients\u27 health

A point-based cognitive impairment scoring system for southeast Asian adults

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is a growing concern in Southeast Asian populations, where the burden of cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) is high. Currently, there is no point-based scoring system for identifying cognitive impairment in these populations. OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a simple point-based Cognitive Impairment Scoring System (CISS) for identifying individuals with cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) and concomitant CeVD in Southeast Asian populations. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study using data from two population-based studies. SETTING: Community-based setting in Southeast Asia. PARTICIPANTS: 1,511 Southeast Asian adults (664 with CIND, 44.0 %). MEASURES: Two CISS measures were developed: a basic measure including 11 easily assessable risk factors, and an extended measure incorporating seven additional neuroimaging markers. Performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic analysis (AUC) and calibration plots. RESULTS: The AUC for CISS-basic and CISS-extended were 0.81 (95 %CI, 0.76-0.86) and 0.85 (95 %CI, 0.81-0.89), respectively. Calibration plots indicated satisfactory fit for both the basic measure (p=0.82) and the extended measure (p=0.17). The basic measure included age, gender, ethnicity, education, systolic blood pressure, BMI, smoking history, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, stroke history, and mild/moderate depression. The extended measure added neuroimaging markers of CeVD and brain atrophy. CONCLUSION: The CISS provides a quick, objective, and clinically relevant tool for assessing cognitive impairment risk in Southeast Asian populations. The basic measure is suitable for initial community-based screenings, while the extended measure offers higher specificity for probable diagnosis. This point-based system enables rapid estimation of cognitive status without requiring complex calculations, potentially improving early detection and management of cognitive impairment in clinical practice