The Marginal Cost of Frailty Among Medicare Patients on Hemodialysis.

Introduction:Dialysis patients incur disproportionately high costs compared with other Medicare beneficiaries. Care for frail individuals may be even more costly. We examined the extent to which frailty contributes to higher costs among dialysis patients. Methods:We used ACTIVE/ADIPOSE (A Cohort to Investigate the Value of Exercise/Analyses Designed to Investigate the Paradox of Obesity and Survival in ESRD) enrollees (adult hemodialysis patients evaluated from June 2009 to August 2011) in a retrospective cohort analysis. Individuals using Medicare as the primary payer were included. Fried's frailty phenotype was evaluated at baseline, 12, and 24 months. Costs were derived from linkage with the US Renal Data System (USRDS) and Medicare claims data. We used generalized estimating equations (GEEs) incorporating time-updated frailty and costs to evaluate adjusted point estimates and the marginal cost associated with being frail. We also investigated if frail patients who died during the study incurred higher costs than those who survived. Results:Among 771 enrollees in ACTIVE/ADIPOSE, 425 met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 56 ± 13 years, body mass index (BMI) 29.2 ± 7.1 kg/m2, 42.4% were women, and 29.0% were frail at baseline. Over a mean follow-up of 2.3 years, frail individuals incurred 22% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.6%-35.8%) higher costs compared with nonfrail individuals ($87,600 per patient per year [pppy], 95$71,800 pppy, 95% CI 64,800-79,600), the difference was driven primarily by higher inpatient expenditures. The difference between frail and nonfrail patients' inpatient expenditures was even more pronounced among those who died during the study compared with those who survived. Conclusions:Frail dialysis patients incur a significantly higher cost relative to their nonfrail counterparts, primarily driven by higher inpatient costs. Frail patients near end of life incur even higher costs

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

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

Current Management of Patients With Acquired Solitary Kidney.

Persons with acquired solitary kidney, including those who have had a unilateral nephrectomy for living kidney donation, renal malignancies, or trauma, have decreased renal mass that leads to increased intraglomerular pressure and glomerular hyperfiltration. These physiologic adaptations of solitary kidney may exacerbate other preexisting and genetic conditions that could create a predisposition to or worsen glomerular pathologies, leading to unfavorable renal outcomes. Hence, these persons may benefit from special care and lifestyle modifications, including nutritional interventions. There is a lack of consensus and evidence for proper surveillance and management after nephrectomy, and misconceptions in both directions of having a "normal" versus "abnormal" kidney status may cause confusion among patients and healthcare providers pertaining to long-term kidney health monitoring and management. We have reviewed available data on the impact of lifestyle modifications, particularly nutritional measures, and pharmacologic interventions, on short- and long-term outcomes after nephrectomy. We recommend avoidance of excessively high dietary protein intake (&gt;1 g/kg per day) and high dietary sodium intake (&gt;4 grams/d), adequate dietary fiber intake from plant-based foods, a target body mass index of&nbsp;&lt;30 kg/m2 (in non-athletes and non-bodybuilders), and judicious management of risk factors of progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD), and future studies should help to better determine optimal care practices for these persons

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

Association of Pre-ESRD Serum Calcium With Post-ESRD Mortality Among Incident ESRD Patients: A Cohort Study.

Albumin-corrected serum calcium (cSCa) decline at late stages of chronic kidney disease and rise after dialysis initiation. Although hypercalcemia is associated with higher mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD), there are scarce data on the impact of pre-ESRD cSCa on post-ESRD mortality. Therefore, we used a large national cohort of 21,826 US veterans who transitioned to dialysis in all US Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities over 2009 to 2014 to examine the associations with all-cause and cause-specific post-ESRD mortality of (1) cSCa concentrations averaged over the last 6 months and (2) its rate of decline during the last 12 months before dialysis initiation. Mean concentrations and median rate of decline of cSCa were 9.3 ± 0.7 mg/dL and -0.15 (interquartile range -0.39 to 0.07) mg/dL/year, respectively. A total of 9596 patients died during the follow-up period (mean 1.9 years; total 41,541 patient-years) with an incidence rate of 23.1 per 100 patient-years. There was an independent linear association between higher cSCa with higher mortality (ptrend &lt; 0.001). The mortality risk associated with cSCa ≥9.0 mg/dL was attenuated among active vitamin D users (pinteraction &lt; 0.001). Patients with faster decline in cSCa showed lower mortality irrespective of baseline cSCa concentrations. These cSCa-mortality associations were stronger for noncardiovascular versus cardiovascular death. In conclusion, lower pre-ESRD cSCa and faster decline in cSCa were consistently and linearly associated with better post-ESRD survival among US veterans, especially for noncardiovascular death. Further studies are needed to determine if correcting hypocalcemia is beneficial or harmful and which intervention is preferred when indicated among patients transitioning to ESRD. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Longitudinal Associations among Renal Urea Clearance-Corrected Normalized Protein Catabolic Rate, Serum Albumin, and Mortality in Patients on Hemodialysis.

Background and objectivesThere are inconsistent reports on the association of dietary protein intake with serum albumin and outcomes among patients on hemodialysis. Using a new normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) variable accounting for residual renal urea clearance, we hypothesized that higher baseline nPCR and rise in nPCR would be associated with higher serum albumin and better survival among incident hemodialysis patients.Design, setting, participants, &amp; measurementsAmong 36,757 incident hemodialysis patients in a large United States dialysis organization, we examined baseline and change in renal urea clearance-corrected nPCR as a protein intake surrogate and modeled their associations with serum albumin and mortality over 5 years (1/2007-12/2011).ResultsMedian nPCRs with and without accounting for renal urea clearance at baseline were 0.94 and 0.78 g/kg per day, respectively (median within-patient difference, 0.14 [interquartile range, 0.07-0.23] g/kg per day). During a median follow-up period of 1.4 years, 8481 deaths were observed. Baseline renal urea clearance-corrected nPCR was associated with higher serum albumin and lower mortality in the fully adjusted model (Ptrend&lt;0.001). Among 13,895 patients with available data, greater rise in renal urea clearance-corrected nPCR during the first 6 months was also associated with attaining high serum albumin (≥3.8 g/dl) and lower mortality (Ptrend&lt;0.001); compared with the reference group (a change of 0.1-0.2 g/kg per day), odds and hazard ratios were 0.53 (95% confidence interval, 0.44 to 0.63) and 1.32 (95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 1.54), respectively, among patients with a change of &lt;-0.2 g/kg per day and 1.62 (95% confidence interval, 1.35 to 1.96) and 0.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.64 to 0.90), respectively, among those with a change of ≥0.5 g/kg per day. Within a given category of nPCR without accounting for renal urea clearance, higher levels of renal urea clearance-corrected nPCR consistently showed lower mortality risk.ConclusionsAmong incident hemodialysis patients, higher dietary protein intake represented by nPCR and its changes over time appear to be associated with increased serum albumin levels and greater survival. nPCR may be underestimated when not accounting for renal urea clearance. Compared with the conventional nPCR, renal urea clearance-corrected nPCR may be a better marker of mortality

Association of thyroid status prior to transition to end-stage renal disease with early dialysis mortality.

BackgroundAdvanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, including those receiving dialysis, have a high prevalence of thyroid dysfunction. Although hypothyroidism is associated with higher death risk in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, no studies have examined whether thyroid status in the pre-ESRD period impacts mortality after dialysis initiation.MethodsAmong US veterans with CKD identified from the national Veterans Affairs database that transitioned to dialysis over the period from October 2007 to September 2011, we examined the association of pre-ESRD serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels averaged over the 1-year pre-dialysis ('prelude') period with all-cause mortality in the first year following dialysis initiation.ResultsAmong 15 335 patients in the 1-year prelude cohort, TSH levels &gt;5.0 mIU/L were associated with higher mortality in expanded case-mix Cox models (reference: TSH 0.5-5.0 mIU/L): adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20 (1.07-1.33). Similar findings were observed for TSH &gt;5.0 mIU/L and mortality in the 2- and 5-year cohorts: aHRs (95% CI) 1.11 (1.02-1.21) and 1.15 (1.07-1.24), respectively. Analyses of finer gradations of TSH in the 1-year prelude cohort demonstrated that incrementally higher levels &gt;5.0 mIU/L were associated with increasingly higher mortality in expanded case-mix models (reference: TSH 0.5-3.0 mIU/L): aHRs (95% CI) 1.18 (1.04-1.33) and 1.28 (1.03-1.59) for TSH levels &gt;5.0-10.0 mIU/L and &gt;10.0 mIU/L, respectively. In the 2- and 5-year cohorts, mortality associations persisted most strongly for those with TSH &gt;10.0 mIU/L, particularly after laboratory covariate adjustment.ConclusionsAmong new ESRD patients, there is a dose-dependent relationship between higher pre-ESRD TSH levels &gt;5.0 mIU/L and post-ESRD mortality. Further studies are needed to determine the impact of TSH reduction with thyroid hormone supplementation in this population

Predialysis Kidney Function and Its Rate of Decline Predict Mortality and Hospitalizations After Starting Dialysis.

ObjectiveTo determine whether kidney function level and its rate of decline in the immediate predialysis period among veterans transitioning to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) predict postdialysis mortality and hospitalization.Patients and methodsIn 19,985 veterans transitioning to ESRD during the period October 1, 2007, to March 30, 2014, we examined kidney function and its slope over the final year of the pre-ESRD(prelude) period. Two categories of low vs high estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, dichotomized at 10 mL/min/1.73 m2) and slow vs fast slope (dichotomized at&nbsp;-10 mL/min/1.73 m2/y) were combined into 4 groups. Their associations with 12-month post-ESRD all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality and hospitalization rates were examined in adjusted models accounting for clinical characteristics and laboratory measurements at transition.ResultsPatients, 66±11 years old, and 34% blacks, had a median (interquartile range) eGFR at transition and slope of 9.7 (7.1-13.3) mL/min/1.73 m2 and&nbsp;-10.5 (-18.8 to&nbsp;-5.9) mL/min/1.73 m2/y, respectively. Patients with a low eGFR and slow slope had the lowest 12-month all-cause and CV mortality risks and hospitalization rate. Conversely, patients with high eGFR and fast slope had the highest risk of all-cause and CV mortality and hospitalization rate compared with patients with a low eGFR and slow slope. This relationship persisted in sensitivity analyses, including propensity scoring.ConclusionA kidney profile of a low eGFR and slow slope in the prelude period is associated with favorable early dialysis outcomes in veteran patients. Trials to examine a more conservative approach to dialysis are warranted