Association of long-term aspirin use with kidney disease progression

BackgroundChronic microinflammation contributes to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Aspirin (ASA) has been used to treat inflammation for centuries. The effects of long-term low-dose ASA on CKD progression are unclear.MethodsWe examined the association of long-term use of newly initiated low-dose ASA (50–200 mg/day) with all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazard models; with cardiovascular/cerebrovascular (CV) mortality and with end stage kidney disease (ESKD) using Fine and Gray competing risk regression models; with progression of CKD defined as patients’ eGFR slopes steeper than −5 mL/min/1.73m2/year using logistic regression models in a nationwide cohort of US Veterans with incident CKD. Among 831,963 patients, we identified 385,457 who either initiated ASA (N = 21,228) within 1 year of CKD diagnosis or never received ASA (N = 364,229). We used propensity score matching to account for differences in key characteristics, yielding 29,480 patients (14,740 in each group).ResultsIn the matched cohort, over a 4.9-year median follow-up period, 11,846 (40.2%) patients (6,017 vs. 5,829 ASA users vs. non-users) died with 25.8% CV deaths, and 934 (3.2%) patients (476 vs. 458) reached ESKD. ASA users had a higher risk of faster decline of kidney functions, i.e., steeper slopes (OR 1.30 [95%CI: 1.18, 1.44], p < 0.01), but did not have apparent benefits on mortality (HR 0.97 [95%CI: 0.94, 1.01], p = 0.17), CV mortality (Sub-Hazard Ratio [SHR]1.06 [95%CI: 0.99–1.14], p = 0.11), or ESKD (SHR1.00 [95%CI: 0.88, 1.13], p = 0.95).ConclusionChronic low-dose ASA use was associated with faster kidney function deterioration, and no association was observed with mortality or risk of ESKD

Obesidad y enfermedad renal: consecuencias ocultas de la epidemia

Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and its prevalence has been projected to grow by 40% in the next decade. This increasing prevalence has implications for the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and also for Chronic Kidney Disease. A high body mass index is one of the strongest risk factors for new-onset Chronic Kidney Disease. In individuals affected by obesity, a compensatory hyperfiltration occurs to meet the heightened metabolic demands of the increased body weight. The increase in intraglomerular pressure can damage the kidneys and raise the risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease in the long-term. The incidence of obesity-related glomerulopathy has increased ten-fold in recent years. Obesity has also been shown to be a risk factor for nephrolithiasis, and for a number of malignancies including kidney cancer. This year the World Kidney Day promotes education on the harmful consequences of obesity and its association with kidney disease, advocating healthy lifestyle and health policy measures that makes preventive behaviors an affordable option.La obesidad se ha convertido en una epidemia mundial, y se ha proyectado que su prevalencia se incrementará en un 40 % en la próxima década. Esta creciente prevalencia supone implicaciones tanto para el riesgo de desarrollo de diabetes y enfermedades cardiovasculares como para el desarrollo de Enfermedad Renal Crónica. Un elevado índice de masa corporal es uno de los factores de riesgo más importantes para el desarrollo de Enfermedad Renal Crónica. En individuos afectados por la obesidad, tiene lugar una hiperfiltración compensatoria necesaria para alcanzar la alta demanda metabólica secundaria al aumento del peso corporal. El incremento de la presión intraglomerular puede generar daño renal y elevar el riesgo de desarrollar Enfermedad Renal Crónica a largo plazo. La incidencia de glomerulopatía asociada a obesidad se ha incrementado 10 veces en los últimos años. Así mismo se ha demostrado que la obesidad es un factor de riesgo para el desarrollo de nefrolitiasis y un número de neoplasias, incluyendo cáncer renal. Este año, el Día Mundial del Riñón promueve la educación a cerca de las consecuencias nocivas de la obesidad y su asociación con la enfermedad renal, abogando por un estilo de vida saludable y la implementación de políticas públicas de salud que promuevan medidas preventivas alcanzables

Infrequent dialysis: a new paradigm for hemodialysis initiation.

Nearly a half-century ago, the thrice-weekly hemodialysis schedule was empirically established as a means to provide an adequate dialysis dose while also treating the greatest number of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients using limited resources. Landmark trials of hemodialysis adequacy have historically been anchored to thrice-weekly regimens, but a recent randomized controlled trial demonstrated that frequent hemodialysis (six times per week) confers cardiovascular and survival benefits. Based on these collective data and experience, clinical practice guidelines advise against a less than thrice-weekly treatment schedule in patients without residual renal function, yet provide limited guidance on the optimal treatment frequency when substantial native kidney function is present. Thus, during the transition from Stage 5 chronic kidney disease to ESRD, the current paradigm is to initiate hemodialysis on a "full-dose" thrice-weekly regimen even among patients with substantial residual renal function. However, emerging data suggest that frequent hemodialysis accelerates residual renal function decline, and infrequent regimens may provide better preservation of native kidney function. Given the high mortality rates during the first 6 months of hemodialysis and the survival benefits of preserved native kidney function, initiation with twice-weekly treatment schedules ("infrequent hemodialysis") with an incremental increase in frequency over time may provide an opportunity to optimize patient survival. This review outlines the clinical benefits of post-hemodialysis residual renal function, studies of twice-weekly treatment regimens, and the potential risks and benefits of infrequent hemodialysis

Recipient‐related predictors of kidney transplantation outcomes in the elderly

Background It is not clear whether in old people with end‐stage renal disease kidney transplantation is superior to dialysis therapy. Methods We compared mortality rates between kidney transplant recipients ( KTR s) and the general population across different age categories. We also examined patient and allograft survival in 15 667 elderly KTR s (65–30 kg/m 2 ) was associated with 19% higher risk of graft failure ( HR : 1.19 [1.07–1.33], p = 0.002). Diabetes was a predictor of worse patient survival in all age groups but poorer allograft outcome in the youngest age group (65–<70 yr old) only. None of the examined risk factors affected allograft outcome in the oldest group (≥75 yr old) although there was a 49% lower trend of graft failure in very old Hispanic recipients ( HR : 0.51 [0.26–1.01], p = 0.05). Conclusions Kidney transplantation may attenuate the age‐associated increase in mortality, and its superior survival gain is most prominent in the oldest recipients (≥75 yr old). The potential protective effect of kidney transplantation on longevity in the elderly deserves further investigation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98362/1/ctr12106.pd

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Mortality Associated with Serum Potassium in Incident Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.

BackgroundAbnormalities in serum potassium are risk factors for sudden cardiac death and arrhythmias among dialysis patients. Although a previous study in hemodialysis patients has shown that race/ethnicity may impact the relationship between serum potassium and mortality, the relationship remains unclear among peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients where the dynamics of serum potassium is more stable.MethodsAmong 17,664 patients who started PD between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2011 in a large US dialysis organization, we evaluated the association of serum potassium levels with all-cause and arrhythmia-related deaths across race/ethnicity using time-dependent Cox models with adjustments for demographics. We also used restricted cubic spline functions for serum potassium levels to explore non-linear associations.ResultsBaseline serum potassium levels were the highest among Hispanics (4.2 ± 0.7 mEq/L) and lowest among non-Hispanic blacks (4.0 ± 0.7 mEq/L). Among 2,949 deaths during the follow-up of median 2.2 (interquartile ranges 1.3-3.2) years, 683 (23%) were arrhythmia-related deaths. Overall, both hyperkalemia and hypokalemia (i.e., serum potassium levels &gt;5.0 and &lt;3.5 mEq/L, respectively) were associated with higher all-cause and arrhythmia-related mortality. In a stratified analysis according to race/ethnicity, the association of hypokalemia with all-cause and arrhythmia-related mortality was consistent with an attenuation for arrhythmia-related mortality in non-Hispanic blacks. Hyperkalemia was associated with all-cause and arrhythmia-related mortality in non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks, but no association was observed in Hispanics.ConclusionAmong incident PD patients, hypokalemia was consistently associated with all-cause and arrhythmia-related deaths irrespective of race/ethnicity. However, while hyperkalemia was associated with both death outcomes in non-Hispanic blacks and whites, it was not associated with either death outcome in Hispanic patients. Further studies are needed to demonstrate whether different strategies should be followed for the management of serum potassium levels according to race/ethnicity

Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients With Diabetes

Previous observational studies using differing methodologies have yielded inconsistent results regarding the association between glycemic control and outcomes in diabetic patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). We examined mortality predictability of A1C and random serum glucose over time in a contemporary cohort of 54,757 diabetic MHD patients (age 63 ± 13 years, 51% men, 30% African Americans, 19% Hispanics). Adjusted all-cause death hazard ratio (HR) for baseline A1C increments of 8.0–8.9, 9.0–9.9, and ≥10%, compared with 7.0–7.9% (reference), was 1.06 (95% CI 1.01–1.12), 1.05 (0.99–1.12), and 1.19 (1.12–1.28), respectively, and for time-averaged A1C was 1.11 (1.05–1.16), 1.36 (1.27–1.45), and 1.59 (1.46–1.72). A symmetric increase in mortality also occurred with time-averaged A1C levels in the low range (6.0–6.9%, HR 1.05 [95% CI 1.01–1.08]; 5.0–5.9%, 1.08 [1.04–1.11], and ≤5%, 1.35 [1.29–1.42]) compared with 7.0–7.9% in fully adjusted models. Adjusted all-cause death HR for time-averaged blood glucose 175–199, 200–249, 250–299, and ≥300 mg/dL, compared with 150–175 mg/dL (reference), was 1.03 (95% CI 0.99–1.07), 1.14 (1.10–1.19), 1.30 (1.23–1.37), and 1.66 (1.56–1.76), respectively. Hence, poor glycemic control (A1C ≥8% or serum glucose ≥200 mg/dL) appears to be associated with high all-cause and cardiovascular death in MHD patients. Very low glycemic levels are also associated with high mortality risk

Impact of residual kidney function on hemodialysis adequacy and patient survival.

Background:Both dialysis dose and residual kidney function (RKF) contribute to solute clearance and are associated with outcomes in hemodialysis patients. We hypothesized that the association between dialysis dose and mortality is attenuated with greater RKF. Methods:Among 32&nbsp;251 incident hemodialysis patients in a large US dialysis organization (2007-11), we examined the interaction between single-pool Kt/V (spKt/V) and renal urea clearance (rCLurea) levels in survival analyses using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results:The median rCLurea and mean baseline spKt/V were 3.06 [interquartile range (IQR) 1.74-4.85] mL/min/1.73&nbsp;m2 and 1.32 ± 0.28, respectively. A total of 7444 (23%) patients died during the median follow-up of 1.2 years (IQR 0.5-2.2 years) with an incidence of 15.4 deaths per 100 patient-years. The Cox model with adjustment for case-mix and laboratory variables showed that rCLurea modified the association between spKt/V and mortality (Pinteraction = 0.03); lower spKt/V was associated with higher mortality among patients with low rCLurea (i.e. &lt;3  mL/min/1.73&nbsp;m2) but not among those with higher rCLurea. The adjusted mortality hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals of the low (&lt;1.2) versus high (≥1.2) spKt/V were 1.40 (1.12-1.74), 1.21 (1.10-1.33), 1.06 (0.98-1.14), and 1.00 (0.93-1.08) for patients with rCLurea of 0.0, 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0&nbsp;mL/min/1.73&nbsp;m2, respectively. Conclusions:Incident hemodialysis patients with substantial RKF do not exhibit the expected better survival at higher hemodialysis doses. RKF levels should be taken into account when deciding on the dose of dialysis treatment among incident hemodialysis patients

Dialysate Potassium and Mortality in a Prospective Hemodialysis Cohort.

BackgroundStudies examining the association of dialysate potassium concentration and mortality in hemodialysis patients show conflicting findings. We hypothesized that low dialysate potassium concentrations are associated with higher mortality, particularly in patients with high pre-dialysis serum potassium concentrations.MethodsWe evaluated 624 hemodialysis patients from the prospective Malnutrition, Diet, and Racial Disparities in Kidney Disease study recruited from 16 outpatient dialysis facilities over 2011-2015 who underwent protocolized collection of dialysis treatment characteristics every 6 months. We examined the association of dialysate potassium concentration, categorized as 1, 2, and 3 mEq/L, with all-cause mortality risk in the -overall cohort, and stratified by pre-dialysis serum potassium (&lt; 5 vs. ≥5 mEq/L) using case-mix adjusted Cox models.ResultsIn baseline analyses, dialysate potassium concentrations of 1&nbsp;mEq/L were associated with higher mortality, whereas concentrations of 3 mEq/L were associated with similar mortality in the overall cohort (reference: 2 mEq/L): adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs; 95% CI) 1.70 (1.01-2.88) and 0.95 (0.64-1.39), respectively. In analyses stratified by serum potassium, baseline dialysate potassium concentrations of 1 mEq/L were associated with higher mortality in patients with serum potassium ≥5 mEq/L but not in those with serum potassium &lt; 5 mEq/L: aHRs (95% CI) 2.87 (1.51-5.46) and 0.74 (0.27-2.07), respectively (p interaction = 0.04). These findings were robust with incremental adjustment for serum potassium, potassium-binding resins, and potassium-modifying medications.ConclusionLow (1 mEq/L) dialysate potassium -concentrations were associated with higher mortality, particularly in hemodialysis patients with high pre-dialysis serum potassium. Further studies are needed to identify therapeutic strategies that mitigate inter-dialytic serum potassium accumulation and subsequent high dialysate serum potassium gradients in this population

Lymphocyte Cell Ratios and Mortality among Incident Hemodialysis Patients.

BackgroundNeutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been previously suggested as oncologic prognostication markers. These are associated with malnutrition and inflammation, and hence, may provide benefit in predicting mortality among hemodialysis patients.MethodsAmong 108,548 incident hemodialysis patients in a large U.S. dialysis organization (2007-2011), we compared the mortality predictability of NLR and PLR with baseline and time-varying covariate Cox models using the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), net reclassification index (NRI), and adjusted R2.ResultsDuring the median follow-up period of 1.4 years, 28,618 patients died. Median (IQR) NLR and PLR at baseline were 3.64 (2.68-5.00) and 179 (136-248) respectively. NLR was associated with higher mortality, which appeared stronger in the time-varying versus baseline model. PLR exhibited a J-shaped association with mortality in both models. NLR provided better mortality prediction in addition to demographics, comorbidities, and serum albumin; ΔAUROC and NRI for 1-year mortality (95% CI) were 0.010 (0.009-0.012) and 6.4% (5.5-7.3%) respectively. Additionally, adjusted R2 (95% CI) for the Cox model increased from 0.269 (0.262-0.276) to 0.283 (0.276-0.290) in the non-time-varying model and from 0.467 (0.461-0.472) to 0.505 (0.500-0.512) in the time-varying model. There was little to no benefit of adding PLR to predict mortality.ConclusionsHigh NLR in incident hemodialysis patients predicted mortality, especially in the short-term period. NLR, but not PLR, added modest benefit in predicting mortality along with demographics, comorbidities, and serum albumin, and should be included in prognostication approaches

Hemodialysis Disparities in African Americans: The Deeply Integrated Concept of Race in the Social Fabric of Our Society.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is one of the starkest examples of racial/ethnic disparities in health. Racial/ethnic minorities are 1.5 to nearly 4 times more likely than their non-Hispanic White counterparts to require renal replacement therapy (RRT), with African Americans suffering from the highest rates of ESRD. Despite improvements over the last 25 years, substantial racial differences are persistent in dialysis quality measures such as RRT modality options, dialysis adequacy, anemia, mineral and bone disease, vascular access, and pre-ESRD care. This report will outline the current status of racial disparities in key ESRD quality measures and explore the impact of race. While the term race represents a social construct, its association with health is more complex. Multiple individual and community level social determinants of health are defined by the social positioning of race in the U.S., while biologic differences may reflect distinct epigenetic changes and linkages to ancestral geographic origins. Together, these factors conspire to influence dialysis outcomes among African Americans with ESRD