Smoking and Second Hand Smoking in Adolescents with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Report from the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) Cohort Study

The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of smoking and second hand smoking [SHS] in adolescents with CKD and their relationship to baseline parameters at enrollment in the CKiD, observational cohort study of 600 children (aged 1-16 yrs) with Schwartz estimated GFR of 30-90 ml/min/1.73m2. 239 adolescents had self-report survey data on smoking and SHS exposure: 21 [9%] subjects had “ever” smoked a cigarette. Among them, 4 were current and 17 were former smokers. Hypertension was more prevalent in those that had “ever” smoked a cigarette (42%) compared to non-smokers (9%), p\u3c0.01. Among 218 non-smokers, 130 (59%) were male, 142 (65%) were Caucasian; 60 (28%) reported SHS exposure compared to 158 (72%) with no exposure. Non-smoker adolescents with SHS exposure were compared to those without SHS exposure. There was no racial, age, or gender differences between both groups. Baseline creatinine, diastolic hypertension, C reactive protein, lipid profile, GFR and hemoglobin were not statistically different. Significantly higher protein to creatinine ratio (0.90 vs. 0.53, p\u3c0.01) was observed in those exposed to SHS compared to those not exposed. Exposed adolescents were heavier than non-exposed adolescents (85th percentile vs. 55th percentile for BMI, p\u3c 0.01). Uncontrolled casual systolic hypertension was twice as prevalent among those exposed to SHS (16%) compared to those not exposed to SHS (7%), though the difference was not statistically significant (p= 0.07). Adjusted multivariate regression analysis [OR (95% CI)] showed that increased protein to creatinine ratio [1.34 (1.03, 1.75)] and higher BMI [1.14 (1.02, 1.29)] were independently associated with exposure to SHS among non-smoker adolescents. These results reveal that among adolescents with CKD, cigarette use is low and SHS is highly prevalent. The association of smoking with hypertension and SHS with increased proteinuria suggests a possible role of these factors in CKD progression and cardiovascular outcomes

Renal Survival in Children with Glomerulonephritis with Crescents: A Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium Cohort Study

There is no evidence-based definition for diagnosing crescentic glomerulonephritis. The prognostic implications of crescentic lesions on kidney biopsy have not been quantified. Our objective was to determine risk factors for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in patients with glomerulonephritis and crescents on kidney biopsy. A query of the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium’s Pediatric Glomerulonephritis with Crescents registry identified 305 patients from 15 centers. A retrospective cohort study was performed with ESKD as the primary outcome. Median age at biopsy was 11 years (range 1–21). The percentage of crescents was 3–100% (median 20%). Etiologies included IgA nephropathy (23%), lupus (21%), IgA vasculitis (19%) and ANCA-associated GN (13%), post-infectious GN (5%), and anti-glomerular basement membrane disease (3%). The prevalence of ESKD was 12% at one year and 16% at last follow-up (median = 3 years, range 1–11). Median time to ESKD was 100 days. Risk factors for ESKD included %crescents, presence of fibrous crescents, estimated GFR, and hypertension at biopsy. For each 1% increase in %crescents, there was a 3% decrease in log odds of 1-year renal survival (p = 0.003) and a 2% decrease in log odds of renal survival at last follow-up (p \u3c 0.001). These findings provide an evidence base for enrollment criteria for crescentic glomerulonephritis in future clinical trials

Tobacco and the Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease Population

Tobacco use and exposure are preventable causes of morbidity and mortality. Whereas the impact of this public health issue is well described in adults with kidney disease, its role in the pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) population is largely unknown. This review discusses the prevalence of tobacco use and exposure in children with CKD, updates the reader on how tobacco affects the kidney, and presents intervention strategies relevant to this patient population

Patient Generated Health Data: Benefits and Challenges

Patient Generated Health Data (PGHD) is defined as data generated by and from patients.1 The use of PGHD has rapidly increased with the widespread availability of smart phone mobile health applications (mHealth apps) and wearable devices. Currently, the vast majority of PGHD is generated via the use of mHealth apps and wearables like “Fitbit” or medical devices such as a continuous glucose monitoring device. There are many benefits of PGHD including increased monitoring of children\u27s chronic health conditions outside clinical care to supplement ambulatory clinic visits, improved health outcomes, increased patient awareness and engagement and improved patient-provider communication. When leveraged properly, PGHD can be a powerful tool in delivering safe, effective, patient centered, efficient and equitable care as outlined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM).2 The challenges that limit collection, use and acceptance of PGHD include limited access to the internet, inability to incorporate PGHD into clinical workflows, data privacy and security concerns and apprehension about accuracy and safety of mHealth apps. These issues can lead to a lack of use or compliance with devices or apps associated with PGHD. To ensure optimal health benefits, agreement to leverage PGHD should be a joint decision between the clinician and the patient/caregiver. Future steps to ensure safety and clinical relevance of PGHD include involving regulatory authorities, device manufacturers and professional bodies to develop standards for mHealth apps and wearables to promote uncomplicated PGHD integration into workflows, easy and secure sharing of PGHD. Wearable technology, medical devices and smart phone apps become more advanced and widespread among the population, there will be an increasing potential for PGHD to facilitate personalized, efficient, and collaborative care resulting in improved health outcomes for children and adolescent and young adult. More research and innovation is needed to facilitate this transition

Patient Generated Health Data: Benefits and Challenges

Patient Generated Health Data (PGHD) is defined as data generated by and from patients.1 The use of PGHD has rapidly increased with the widespread availability of smart phone mobile health applications (mHealth apps) and wearable devices. Currently, the vast majority of PGHD is generated via the use of mHealth apps and wearables like “Fitbit” or medical devices such as a continuous glucose monitoring device. There are many benefits of PGHD including increased monitoring of children\u27s chronic health conditions outside clinical care to supplement ambulatory clinic visits, improved health outcomes, increased patient awareness and engagement and improved patient-provider communication. When leveraged properly, PGHD can be a powerful tool in delivering safe, effective, patient centered, efficient and equitable care as outlined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM).2 The challenges that limit collection, use and acceptance of PGHD include limited access to the internet, inability to incorporate PGHD into clinical workflows, data privacy and security concerns and apprehension about accuracy and safety of mHealth apps. These issues can lead to a lack of use or compliance with devices or apps associated with PGHD. To ensure optimal health benefits, agreement to leverage PGHD should be a joint decision between the clinician and the patient/caregiver. Future steps to ensure safety and clinical relevance of PGHD include involving regulatory authorities, device manufacturers and professional bodies to develop standards for mHealth apps and wearables to promote uncomplicated PGHD integration into workflows, easy and secure sharing of PGHD. Wearable technology, medical devices and smart phone apps become more advanced and widespread among the population, there will be an increasing potential for PGHD to facilitate personalized, efficient, and collaborative care resulting in improved health outcomes for children and adolescent and young adult. More research and innovation is needed to facilitate this transition

Tobacco and the Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease Population

Tobacco use and exposure are preventable causes of morbidity and mortality. Whereas the impact of this public health issue is well described in adults with kidney disease, its role in the pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) population is largely unknown. This review discusses the prevalence of tobacco use and exposure in children with CKD, updates the reader on how tobacco affects the kidney, and presents intervention strategies relevant to this patient population