Hard Outcomes Research Articles

Physical activity and cardiorenal health - from associations to interventional studies.

Clustering of traditional and kidney-specific risk factors leads to elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk across the trajectory of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and transplantation. As kidney function declines, the prevalence of CVD, cardiovascular events, and mortality increases. This review considers recent evidence for the association between physical activity (PA) and exercise and cardiorenal health, and the effectiveness of interventions for the prevention and management of cardiorenal decline across the CKD spectrum. Evidence supports a beneficial dose-response effect of PA in the prevention of incident CKD, and growing evidence in prevalent CKD patients for the attenuation of kidney function decline, and a reduction in CVD risk, morbidity, and mortality. Broadly speaking, across the trajectory of CKD, the literature supports the efficacy of exercise interventions for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and aspects of cardiorenal health. The mechanisms underlying improvements indicate differential effects on traditional and non-traditional risk factors for CKD progression and CVD. To date, there is limited transfer of these findings into clinical care, although the evaluation of available evidence has led to the development of the first detailed clinical practice guideline for exercise and lifestyle in CKD. There is a lack of large-scale multi-centre randomised controlled trials, and trials exploring hard clinical outcomes and long-term effects of exercise on cardiorenal outcomes. However, research should also address the challenges of implementing programmes of exercise and PA as part of routine care in combination with addressing the shortfall in literature to improve cardiorenal outcomes in all patients with CKD.

VExUS score improvement is associated with better outcomes in acute decompensated heart failure

Abstract Background Venous Excess Ultrasound Score (VExUS) has recently emerged as a non-invasive tool for venous congestion assessment in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Although VExUS is associated with cardiorenal syndrome, the prognostic role regarding hard outcomes in ADHF is still unknown. Purpose To evaluate whether dynamic changes in VExUS within 72 hours after Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CICU) admission is associated with in-hospital mortality in ADHF patients. Methods Prospective cohort study enrolling consecutive patients with ADHF admitted to CICU of a tertiary public hospital. VExUS evaluations ranging from 0 (no congestion) and 3 (severe congestion) and assessing the inferior vena cava, hepatic, and portal veins flow, were initially performed within 24 hours of admission and re-evaluated at 72 hours (third day) after treatment initiation. Changes in VExUS scores were compared between these two time points. Mann-Whitney test and logistic regression was performed to evaluate VExUS improvement association with mortality. Results Between October 2022 and January 2024, 81 patients were admitted to the CICU due to ADHF. Following the exclusion of 10 patients who were not assessed within the first 24 hours, 71 patients were included in the final analysis. Mean age was 65 ± 13.3 years, with 66.7% being male. Ischemic etiology was identified in 40.7%, and atrial fibrillation was present in 34.6%. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 27.4% ± 12.2, and 64.2% had right ventricular dysfunction. Upon admission, 73.2% were classified as B and 23.9% as C hemodynamic profiles. Overall in-hospital mortality was 25.9%. In-hospital mortality across VExUS categories assessed in the third day was 16.7%, 12.5%, 28.6% e 40%, for VExUS 0-3, respectively. The median VExUS variation between the two time points was greater in patients who survived [-1 vs. 0; p=0.030] and VExUS improvement at 72 hours was associated with a 46% decrease in hospital mortality for each class reduction (OR=0.536; 95% CI 0.29-0-81; p=0.043 - Figure 1). Conclusion Improvement in VExUS score between admission and 72 hours is associated with reduced in-hospital mortality. This finding highlights the potential role of dynamic VExUS monitoring for identifying delayed treatment response patients. Thus, changes in VExUS emerged as a prognostic tool offering a pathway to potentially intensify treatment strategies for high-risk patients with ADHF.VExUS score changes within 72 hours

A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials comparing optical coherence tomography-guided against angiography-guided revascularisation

Abstract Optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) offers more in-depth assessment of plaque morphology, vessel sizing and post-PCI stent deployment characteristics than angiography guidance alone. Previous studies have demonstrated superiority of OCT-guided compared to angiography-guided PCI in stent implantation and expansion, with no difference in safety outcomes. Despite this, adoption of OCT-guided PCI remains low in clinical practice due to its increased procedural time, larger contrast volume, and added cost. Two large multicentre international randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were recently published. We therefore aimed to perform an up-to-date meta-analysis of RCTs comparing OCT-guided revascularisation against angiography-guided revascularisation on hard clinical outcomes. A comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Ovid/Embase was performed, of which only RCTs were included. Two authors identified relevant articles and extracted the data independently. Any disagreements were resolved by a third author. Clinical outcome data was extracted from each study and then pooled to determine the overall risk ratio (RR) and confidence interval (CI) collectively. This was calculated with random-effects model using the Mantel-Haenszel method. All reported P values are two-sided, with significance set at P<0.05. A total of ten RCTs involving a total of 5062 patients were included. After an average follow-up of 20 months, there was no significant difference in the trial-defined composite endpoint between OCT-guided versus angiography guided revascularisation [6.8% versus 7.9%, RR 0.85, 95% CI (0.69 to 1.03), P=0.10, heterogeneity (I2)=0%]. There was also no significant difference in cardiac death [1.0% versus 1.6%, RR 0.61, 95% CI (0.36 to 1.02), P=0.06, heterogeneity (I2)=0%, Figure 1a], myocardial infarction [3.2% versus 3.7%, RR 0.86, 95% CI (0.65 to 1.15), P=0.31, I2=0%, Figure 1b] and target lesion or vessel repeat revascularisation [3.8% versus 4.1%, RR 0.95, 95% CI (0.72 to 1.25), P=0.70, I2=0%, Figure 1c] between the two arms. However, the OCT-guided revascularisation arm was associated with a significantly lower rate of stent thrombosis [0.8% versus 1.5%, RR 0.57, 95% CI (0.33 to 0.97), P=0.04, I2=0%, Figure 1d] than the angiography-guided revascularisation arm. The number-needed-to-treat (NNT) by OCT-guided revascularisation to reduce one additional stent thrombosis event was 143. In conclusion, our findings show the use of OCT-guided revascularisation led to a significant reduction in stent thrombosis compared to angiography-guided revascularisation, but there was no difference in cardiac death, myocardial infarction and repeat revascularisation. The NNT for stent thrombosis was 143 patients. Further research is needed to identity those subgroups most likely to benefit from OCT-guided revascularisation before it can be more widely adopted to significantly impact on clinical care.

Phosphorous metabolism and manipulation in chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) is a syndrome commonly observed in subjects with impaired renal function. Phosphate metabolism has been implicated in the pathogenesis of CKD-MBD and according to the phosphorocentric hypothesis may be the key player in the pathogenesis of these abnormalities. As phosphorous is an essential component for life, absorption from the bowel, accumulation and release from the bones, and elimination through the kidneys are all homeostatic mechanisms that maintain phosphate balance through very sophisticated feedback mechanisms, which comprise as main actors: vitamin D (VD), parathyroid hormone (PTH), calciproteins particles (CPPs), fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) and other phosphatonins and klotho. Indeed, as the renal function declines, factors such as FGF-23 and PTH prevent phosphate accumulation and hyperphosphatemia. However, these factors per se may be responsible for the organ damages associated with CKD-MBD, such as bone osteodystrophy and vascular calcification. We herein review the current understanding of the CKD-MBD focusing on phosphorous metabolism and the impact of phosphate manipulation on surrogate and hard outcomes.

A Novel Individualized Patient Performance Scoring System to Predict Hard Outcomes in Patients on Hemodialysis

A Novel Individualized Patient Performance Scoring System to Predict Hard Outcomes in Patients on Hemodialysis

Prognostic significance of exercise stress echocardiography using two and three diastolic variable approaches

BackgroundThe prognostic utility of comprehensive, guideline-defined assessment of diastolic measures during routine exercise echocardiography remains unclear. ObjectivesThe purpose of the study was to pragmatically assess the prognostic role of obtainable Doppler-derived diastolic variables during treadmill exercise echocardiography. MethodsIn this retrospective study, the authors included 1910 patients undergoing exercise echocardiography. The guideline-defined diastolic measures included resting septal e’ velocity, post-exercise E/e’ ratio and post-exercise tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity. Since tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity is not routinely obtainable, the authors examined 2 approaches: 2 variable approach using only resting septal e’ velocity and post-exercise E/e’ ratio and 3 variable approach with all diastolic variables. ResultsThe mean age of study subjects was 57.6 ± 16 years and 1068 (56 %) were women. The tricuspid jet velocity was not reliably obtained in 501(26 %) of patients. All 3 diastolic variables were associated with the hard outcomes (mortality, acute coronary syndrome, cardiac hospitalization), soft outcomes (subsequent revascularization and cardiac testing), as well as the composite outcome. In the 2-variable approach, the presence of 2 abnormal variables was associated with a worse composite outcome. In the 3 variable approach, the presence of 2 or 3 abnormal variables was associated with a worse composite outcome. The associations persisted after multivariable adjustment and in the propensity matched subgroups. ConclusionsGuideline-defined diastolic variables during treadmill exercise echocardiography offer prognostic utility when used in combination, especially if all 3 variables are obtainable.

2146 Evaluation of pulmonary hypertension by echocardiogram in geriatrics patients with SARSCOV2 from a Latin American cohort

Abstract Introduction Pulmonary hypertension evaluated by echocardiography and ROX index in older patients with COVID-19 could be linked to worse outcomes. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort of adult patients with COVID-19. The main objective was to evaluate pulmonary hypertension as an echocardiographic finding and its association with hard outcomes in patients with COVID-19 infection. In the inferential statistical analysis, the OR with confidence intervals greater than 95% was used as a measure of association. Qualitative variables were evaluated using the Chi square test or Fisher’s exact test. In quantitative variables, the Student’s T test, or Mann–Whitney test, was used. Results 306 individuals with COVID-19 infection were included; the majority of these were men (78% vs. 22% women). Patients who died had lower ROX values at 2 hours compared to survivors (4,5 with a SD of 3,6–5,6, vs. 5,8 with a SD of 4,7–6,1, respectively). This trend was maintained at 12 hours (4,9 with a SD of 3,8–6,0 for deceased patients vs. 7,8 with a SD of 5,2–8,7 for survivors). For the ROX index at 2 hours, an OR adjusted for age and gender of 8,5 with a CI of 2,0–91,4 was found, and at 12 hours, an OR of 17,6 with a CI of 2,8–93,6 was found. Low values of the ROX index were associated with pulmonary hypertension (p = 0.048) and higher mortality (p = 0.037). Conclusions In patients with COVID-19, the presence of pulmonary hypertension estimated by ecocardiography and the ROX index is associated with worse outcomes, including a higher rate of comorbidities and mortality in patients over 70 years of age. Prospective studies with a more representative population sample are required to validate the results found here.

Comparative Evaluation of Effectiveness of Omega-3 Fatty Acids as an Adjunct to SRP with Conventional SRP: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of "omega-3 fatty acids" as an auxiliary to "scaling and root planing (SRP)" with traditional "scaling and root planing" in periodontal treatment in humans. This study is a randomized control trial and was carried out over a period of 3 months (registered on 02/07/2023). Thirty patients were singled out according to the inclusion criteria, each having periodontitis (Stage II Grade B), and were arbitrarily distributed into two groups (control and test). The test group was treated with "scaling and root planing" along with the adjunctive application of "omega-3 fatty acids" while the control group was treated with "scaling and root planing" alone. Monthly follow-up was carried out over 90 days. Clinical parameters such as pocket probing depth (PPD), gingival index (GI), bleeding index (BI), and plaque index (PI) were measured respectively at baseline and 3 months. The data was recorded and statistically analyzed. The soft tissue architecture remained stable. The mean full mouth plaque index (FMPI) score was statistically significant (p < 0.001) when the control group was compared to the test group with a mean difference of 0.12 ± 0.02. The mean full mouth papillary bleeding index (FMPBI) score decreased at 3 months and was statistically significant compared to baseline with a mean difference of 0.24 ± 0.04 (p < 0.001). When the test group was compared with the control group, the FMGI was not significant (p = 0.02), with a mean difference of 0.16 ± 0.19. The PPD was not significant (p =1) when comparing both the groups, with a mean difference of 0 ± 0.66. Although the clinical parameters were statistically significant at 3 months when compared to baseline in both the groups, the FMGI and PPD were not significant. The combined action of using omega-3 fatty acid as an auxiliary to conventional scaling and root planing improved the periodontal parameters including both the soft and hard tissue outcomes. The present study indicated that supplementary usage of omega-3 fatty acids is more beneficial for treating chronic and mild periodontitis than scaling and root planing alone. Omega-3 fatty acids can be used as energy for our cells, reduce the risk of blood clotting, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and reduce inflammation. Host modulatory therapy (HMT) with omega-3 fatty acids aims at reducing inflammation. With HMT as an adjunct, a better result of periodontal therapy was expected. It enhanced the positive effects on periodontal parameters and both the soft and hard tissue outcomes. How to cite this article: Salian S, Dhadse PV, Patil R, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Effectiveness of Omega-3 Fatty Acids as an Adjunct to SRP with Conventional SRP: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(5):440-444.

Quality of life up to one year after revascularisation with percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with previous coronary artery bypass surgery

Abstract Background Approximately 1 out of 11 patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have a history of coronary artery bypass (CABG) surgery. Most studies investigating patients treated with PCI with prior CABG have focused on harder outcomes such as morbidity, mortality and complications. However, quality of life (QoL) is increasingly recognized as an important outcome measure after PCI. Purpose To determine QoL after revascularisation with PCI in patients with and without a history of CABG. Methods CONCARDPCI, a prospective multicenter cohort study including 3417 consecutive patients revascularised with PCI, was conducted at seven high-volume referral PCI centres in Norway and Denmark. Of these, 312 had a history with CABG. Baseline clinical data were collected from patient´s medical records and national registers. Sociodemographic characteristics were self-reported. Patient-reported outcomes measures were collected at baseline, 2-, 6- and 12-months after discharge. QoL and health status were measured with the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), RAND-12-Item Short Form Health Survey (RAND-12) and the Seattle Angina Questionnaire 7 (SAQ-7). Results Patients with prior CABG were older (mean age 71 vs 65, p&amp;lt;0.001), more often men (84% vs 78%), and had more comorbidities. They were less likely to be current smokers (6% vs 18%, p=0.033) and less likely to be working full time (15% vs 33%). Patients with prior CABG reported a lower QoL on all questionnaires at all measuring time points compared with the no CABG group. Both groups had a significant improvement in the physical and mental component scores from baseline to two months on RAND-12 (p&amp;lt;0.001). In addition, an improvement was found on physical limitation from baseline to two months on SAQ-7 (p&amp;lt;0.001). For both groups QoL was best at baseline using WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusion QoL improved in patients with and without a history of CABG throughout the 12-month follow-up period. However, patients with prior CABG scored worse. These findings are important for future clinical decision-making regarding rehabilitation programs after PCI.SAQ-7 mean domain scores over time

Dietary patterns to promote cardiometabolic health.

Multiple professional societies recommend the Mediterranean and/or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension dietary patterns in their cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines because these diets can improve cardiometabolic health and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Furthermore, low sodium intake can be particularly beneficial for patients with hypertension. Carbohydrate restriction, with an emphasis on including high-quality carbohydrates and limiting refined starches and foods and beverages with added sugars, can promote weight loss and cardiometabolic benefits in the short term, compared with higher carbohydrate intake. Evidence is lacking for sustained, long-term effects of low carbohydrate and very low carbohydrate intake on cardiometabolic risk and cardiovascular outcomes. Time-restricted eating, in the context of an overall healthy dietary pattern, can promote cardiometabolic health by aligning food intake with the circadian rhythm, although its effect on hard clinical outcomes remains to be proven. Although there is no one dietary pattern that is appropriate for all patients, engaging in shared decision-making with patients, utilizing behaviour-change principles and engaging members of the health-care team, such as registered dietitian nutritionists, can lead to substantial improvement in the lifestyle and overall health trajectory of a patient. Emphasizing the similarities, rather than differences, of recommended dietary patterns, which include an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains and minimally processed protein foods, such as fatty fish or plant-based proteins, can simplify the process for both patients and clinicians alike.

Telemedicine in Improving Glycemic Control Among Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is the most common chronic autoimmune disease among children and adolescents. Telemedicine has been widely used in the field of chronic disease management and can benefit patients with T1DM. However, existing studies lack high-level evidence related to the effectiveness of telemedicine for glycemic control in children and adolescents with T1DM. This study aims to systematically review the evidence on the effectiveness of telemedicine interventions compared with usual care on glycemic control among children and adolescents with T1DM. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science (all databases), and CINAHL Complete from database inception to May 2023. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effectiveness of a telemedicine intervention on glycemic control in children and adolescents with T1DM. In total, 2 independent reviewers performed the study selection and data extraction. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. Our primary outcome was glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. Secondary outcomes were quality of life, self-monitoring of blood glucose, the incidence of hypoglycemia, and cost-effectiveness. A random-effects model was used for this meta-analysis. Overall, 20 RCTs (1704 participants from 12 countries) were included in the meta-analysis. Only 5% (1/20) of the studies were at high risk of bias. Compared to usual care, telemedicine was found to reduce HbA1c levels by 0.22 (95% CI -0.33 to -0.10; P<.001; I2=35%). There was an improvement in self-monitoring of blood glucose (mean difference [MD] 0.54, 95% CI -0.72 to 1.80; P=.40; I2=67.8%) and the incidence of hypoglycemia (MD -0.15, 95% CI -0.57 to 0.27; P=.49; I2=70.7%), although this was not statistically significant. Moreover, telemedicine had no convincing effect on the Diabetes Quality of Life for Youth score (impact of diabetes: P=.59; worries about diabetes: P=.71; satisfaction with diabetes: P=.68), but there was a statistically significant improvement in non-youth-specific quality of life (MD -0.24, 95% CI -0.45 to -0.02; P=.04; I2=0%). Subgroup analyses revealed that the effect of telemedicine on HbA1c levels appeared to be greater in studies involving children (MD -0.41, 95% CI -0.62 to -0.20; P<.001), studies that lasted <6 months (MD -0.32, 95% CI -0.48 to -0.17; P<.001), studies where providers used smartphone apps to communicate with patients (MD -0.37, 95% CI -0.53 to -0.21; P<.001), and studies with medication dose adjustment (MD -0.25, 95% CI -0.37 to -0.12; P<.001). Telemedicine can reduce HbA1c levels and improve quality of life in children and adolescents with T1DM. Telemedicine should be regarded as a useful supplement to usual care to control HbA1c levels and a potentially cost-effective mode. Meanwhile, researchers should develop higher-quality RCTs using large samples that focus on hard clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and quality of life.

A Low-Density Parity-Check Coding Scheme for LoRa Networking

This article presents a novel system, LLDPC , 1 which brings Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes into Long Range (LoRa) networks to improve Forward Error Correction, a task currently managed by less efficient Hamming codes. Three challenges in achieving this are addressed: First, Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) modulation used by LoRa produces only hard demodulation outcomes, whereas LDPC decoding requires Log-Likelihood Ratios (LLR) for each bit. We solve this by developing a CSS-specific LLR extractor. Second, we improve LDPC decoding efficiency by using symbol-level information to fine-tune LLRs of error-prone bits. Finally, to minimize the decoding latency caused by the computationally heavy Soft Belief Propagation (SBP) algorithm typically used in LDPC decoding, we apply graph neural networks to accelerate the process. Our results show that LLDPC extends default LoRa’s lifetime by 86.7% and reduces SBP algorithm decoding latency by 58.09×.

Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation and impact on clinical outcomes.

Catheter ablation is the most effective rhythm-control option in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and is currently considered an option mainly for improving symptoms. We aimed to assess the impact of catheter ablation on hard clinical outcomes. We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing catheter ablation vs. optimized medical treatment. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL on 8 January 2024, for trials published ≤10 years. We pooled data through risk ratio (RR) and mean differences (MDs), with 95% confidence interval (CI), and calculated the number needed to treat (NNT). Sub-group and sensitivity analyses were performed for the presence/absence of heart failure (HF), paroxysmal/persistent AF, early ablation, higher/lower quality, and published ≤5 vs. >5 years. Twenty-two RCTs were identified, including 6400 patients followed for 6-52 months. All primary endpoints were significantly reduced by catheter ablation vs. medical management: all-cause hospitalization (RR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.39-0.85, P = 0.006), AF relapse (RR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.39-0.58, P < 0.00001), and all-cause mortality (RR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.56-0.86, P = 0.0007, NNT = 44.7, driven by trials with HF patients). A benefit was also demonstrated for all secondary endpoints: cardiovascular mortality (RR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.34-0.87), cardiovascular (RR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.71-0.96), and HF hospitalizations (RR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.56-0.89), AF burden (MD = 20.6%, 95% CI 5.6-35.5), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) recovery (MD = 5.7%, 95% CI 3.5-7.9), and quality of life (MLHFQ, AFEQT, and SF-36 scales). Catheter ablation significantly reduced hospitalizations, AF burden, and relapse, and improved quality of life. An impact on hard clinical outcomes, with an important mortality reduction and improvement in LVEF, was seen for patients with AF and HF.

#826 Protein-energy wasting and sarcopenia in assessing the outcomes and quality of dialysis

Abstract Background and Aims Sarcopenia is one of the serious complications of long-term hemodialysis (HD) therapy and is one of the independent predictors of morbidity and mortality in this population. Sarcopenia is associated with low physical activity, depression and low social adaptation. There are few estimates of the sarcopenia prevalence in HD patients, and they fit into the range of 15-30% in the general group and 45-60% among patients over 60 yo. The aim: in a prospective study, to clarify the prevalence, outcomes and risk factors of sarcopenia in comparison with protein and energy wasting (PEW) severity data. The results of the first year follow-up of the first cohort in the ongoing study are presented below. Method In the group of 99 prevalent patients of single HD center (vintage 26.4; 21.8-93.3 months; age 55±17 years, HD/HDF for 4-4.5 hours three-time weekly; Kt/V 1.57±0.31), the prevalence of sarcopenia was estimated (muscle mass was assessed anthropometrically and by bioimpedance (BIA), BodyStat 5000). The presence of sarcopenia was assessed by EWGSOP2 criteria, muscle strength - by wrist expander. The reference values for men and women were &amp;gt;27 kg and &amp;gt;16 kg. The PEW degree was assessed by 24-point scale (BMI, arm circumference, skin-fat fold above the triceps, arm muscle circumference, total protein, albumin, transferrin, absolute lymphocytosis; max 3 point for each). Obesity was established at BMI &amp;gt;30 kg/m² or according to the fat mass index &amp;gt;9 kg/m² in men and &amp;gt;13 kg/m² in women. The quality of life was assessed by KDQOL-SF™ after exclusion of patients with significant depression by the Beck scale. Results The muscle mass indices calculated anthropometrically (IMMA) and by bioimpedance (IMMB) were well correlated: IMMA=0.15+1.06×IMMB, R²=76%; diagnostic efficacy (in detecting sarcopenia) IMMA to IMMB was 86%. The prevalence of PEW by stage: absent (scores of all assessed scales - 3) – 59%, grade 1 (average score ≥2 and &amp;lt;3) – 32%, grade 2 (average score ≥1 and &amp;lt;2); in one patient, PEW was classified as severe (average score of scales &amp;lt;1). In the univariate and in the multiple adjusted analysis (for age, gender, provided dialysis dose and average ultrafiltration, hemoglobin and phosphate levels), the degree of PEW or the presence of PEW was not associated with the risk of death. At the same time, the phase angle (PA) of bioimpedance had such a link: the PA increase in by 1° was associated with a 24.4% reduction in the risk of death (95%CI 3.9-40.4%; p=0.022), and the inclusion of the same set of variables in the regression analysis model as for the PEW only weakened, but did not eliminated the link (OR decrease by 26.9%; 0.3-46.4%; p=0.048). The risk of death was not associated with obesity. Sarcopenia was detected in 52% of patients. It was not associated with the presence (severity) of PEW in women, but in men it was 1.48 times more common in the presence of PEW (p=0.049); in the entire group, the higher prevalence of sarcopenia in the presence of PEW (by 34%) did not reach significance (p=0.3). In multiple regression analysis, the presence of sarcopenia was associated with a 1.95-fold higher risk of death (95% CI 1.001-3.809; p=0.050). In the presence of sarcopenia, the quality of life scores were significantly lower for the scales of Physical functioning, Energy, and Physical Composite Score. The higher prevalence of sarcopenia among men than in women remains unexplained. It is possible that uniform thresholds for muscle mass and muscle strength are not suitable for all populations and require clarification. Conclusion Sarcopenia is the feature of more than half of HD patients and is significantly associated with an increased risk of death. PEW and sarcopenia, including partially similar indicators in their estimates, turned out to be poorly related in HD patients, and sarcopenia is more closely associated with hard outcomes than PEW. A separate assessment of these conditions and a search for contributing factors for its development/progression are required in prospective studies. One of the key objectifying indicators of the PEW and sarcopenia assessment could be the phase angle of bioimpedance associated with both clinical predictors and outcomes.

#488 Differences in characteristics and outcomes between Patients suffering AKI in medical vs surgical ICU units

Abstract Background and Aims AKI is a public health problem, affecting one in every five hospitalized adults. It's incidence in the ICU fluctuates between 16-36%, with a mortality rate between 28%-50%. The need for HD in the ICU varies from 3-7%, and these patients have twice the risk of death. But few studies have compared patients in medical (MD-ICU) and surgical (Qx-ICU) critical care units. Method We conducted a single center, retrospective study of individuals admitted to ICU units that underwent nephrology consultation. We examined a 5-y period, in the pre-COVID era, we excluded the pandemic period, because COVID patients were admitted to MD- and Qx-ICU indistinctly. We compared epidemiological and clinical characteristics and hard outcomes between patients in both groups. Results We included 433 patients, 42% in the MD-ICU. We found no statistical differences between sex, HTN, DM, Charlson's-Index, and previous CKD. Qx-ICU patients were older, suffered less Coronary Artery (CAD), and Cerebrovascular Disease (CVD), and their AKI etiology was more frequently obstructive. MD-ICU individuals showed less hospital acquired AKI, and were more frequently classified in KDIGO Stage 3, (Fig. A, Features). We found no differences in time to nephrology consultation, length of hospital-stay and in-hospital mortality. Qx-ICU patients had shorter ICU stay, needed less frequently acute HD, and were less HD dependent at discharge (Fig. B, Results). In-hospital mortality for patients that needed HD in MD-ICU OR 2.2 (1.2-4.1, P = 0.12), Qx-ICU OR 4.4 (2.2-8.6, P &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusion Individuals don't differ remarkably in their baseline clinical characteristics (Charlson`s, DM, CKD). Nevertheless, Qx-ICU patients are older, suffer less CAD, and CVD, and show significantly more hospital acquired AKI. We found that medical ICU patients suffered worst AKI stage, longer ICU stay, required acute HD and were HD dependent more frequently, but had a lower risk of death when needing acute HD. We found no differences in general mortality rate, and general hospital stay, and time to nephrology consultation between groups. We need multicentric and well-powered studies to explore these differences more profoundly, find clusters of patients and phenotypes of AKI and discover protective factors and new preventive measures against hospital acquired AKI, and need for acute HD.

#2122 Dynamics of peritoneal transport and peritoneal dialysis outcomes

Abstract Background and Aims Volume overload is one of the most important factors associated with cardiovascular disease in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. On the other hand, the dynamics of peritoneal transport predicts important changes in the peritoneal membrane associated with local and systemic inflammation, which may be important for the progression of cardiovascular disease. The changes in free water transport (FWT) over time can characterize the development of peritoneal fibrosis. In a prospective study with retrospective historical control, the influence of the initial status and dynamics of peritoneal FWT on the outcomes of peritoneal dialysis, hard and surrogate cardiovascular outcomes was evaluated. Method According ISPD Recommendations (2021) the function of peritoneal membrane solute transfer was evaluated in classical PET in the exchange of 2 liters of 2.5% glucose solution with the calculation of the creatinine D/P4 ratio, which was used in the analysis as a continuous value (peritoneal solute transfer rate - PSTR), as well as categorized into high, medium-high, medium-low and low (H, HA, LA, L, respectively) levels of peritoneal transport. The mass transfer coefficient (MTAC) was also calculated. The ultrafiltration function of the membrane and its dynamics were evaluated by measuring the transport of water through small pores and free water through ultrapores, in double mini-PET (in two one-hour exchanges with solutions of 4.25% and 1.5% glucose). FWT is the calculated value; the primary measured value is the degree of reduction of sodium in the dialysis solution one hour after the start of the exchange (dipNa) formed as a result of electrolyte-free water transport through ultrapores (aquaporins), which dilutes dialysate. Results Table 1 shows the average values of peritoneal transport indicators at the beginning of follow-up and the annual changes calculated over the entire period of prospective follow-up for each patient. Major adverse cardiovascular events (Table 2) were recorded with a relatively low frequency, but significantly differed by incidence between the subgroups with high (H) and high-average (HA) peritoneal transport, on the one hand, and low-average (LA) and low(L), on the other: 0.626 ± 0.049 vs. 0.320 ± 0.042 events per year; p&amp;lt;0.001, (49% fewer events). Similarly, there was a significant difference in the MACE incidence between patients with slow and rapid decrease in free water transport (divided by the median of the rate of in free water transport decrease): 0.414 ± 0.044 vs. 0.510 ± 0.051 events per year; p &amp;lt; 0.001, (19% fewer events). The same calculations for nonfatal cardiovascular events showed a fewer incidence of 47.2% and 17.1%, respectively. Thus, patients with a high transport status (according to the PET test) and patients with a rapid decrease in water transport through aquaporins (indicating an increase in fibrotic changes in the peritoneal mesothelium), accompanied also by an increase in peritoneal permeability to solutes, including glucose, are at greater risk of progression of cardiovascular disease. Conclusion In addition to confirming the link between the initial status of peritoneal transport and the subsequent incidence of cardiovascular events, it would be interesting to confirm the influence of cardiovascular disease (as a proinflammatory condition and as a factor of volume overload, forcing the wider use of concentrated solutions which damage the peritoneum) on the progression of peritoneal fibrosis, but according to available materials it was not possible due to the limited number of patients in the study (especially – patients with repeated assessments of peritoneal transport after the cardiovascular events) and low frequency of peritoneal transport monitoring, on the one hand, and uncertainty in identifying the exact time of development of heart failure and the need for revascularization. Continued prospective observation would clarify these links.

Targeting the sympathetic nervous system with the selective imidazoline receptor agonist moxonidine for the management of hypertension: an international position statement.

Hypertension is often linked with metabolic risk factors that share common pathophysiological pathways. Despite wide-spread availability of multiple drug classes, optimal blood pressure (BP) control remains challenging. Increased central sympathetic outflow is frequently neglected as a critical regulator of both circulatory and metabolic pathways and often remains unopposed therapeutically. Selective imidazoline receptor agonists (SIRAs) effectively reduce BP with a favorable side effect profile compared with older centrally acting antihypertensive drugs. Hard outcome data in hypertension, such as prevention of stroke, heart and kidney diseases, are not available with SIRAs. However, in direct comparisons, SIRAs were as effective as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, β-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics in lowering BP. Other beneficial effects on metabolic parameters in hypertensive patients with concomitant overweight and obesity have been documented with SIRAs. Here we review the existing evidence on the safety and efficacy of moxonidine, a widely available SIRA, compared with common antihypertensive agents and provide a consensus position statement based on inputs from 12 experts from Europe and Australia on SIRAs in hypertension management.

Periventricular and Intraventricular Tumors in a Low-Income Country: Hard Learning Curve and Outcome of a Young Neurosurgeon from Burkina Faso

Background: Periventricular and Intraventricular processes are life-threatening conditions because of their propensity to obstruct Cerebrospinal fluid pathways and to compress highly functional and vital structures. There are deep-seated lesions requiring rigorous microsurgical technic for their resection. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the profile and outcome of Periventricular and intraventricular processes operated by the same author since his return in his country in 2015, after graduated abroad in WFNS Rabat training center program 2023. Result: We defined 15 patients operated over 8 years. There were 4 processes in lateral ventricle (26.6%), 1 in third ventricle (6.6%), 2 thalamus processes (13.3%), 4 in fourth ventricle (26.6%) and finally 4 in cerebellar hemisphere and violating the fourth ventricle (26.6%). Various surgical approaches were used, such as contralateral interhemispheric transcallosal, classical interhemispheric transcallosal, Subfrontal transbasal translamina terminalis, Frontal Transcortical, Temporal trans T2, ventriculoperitoneal shunting, endoscopy, cerebellar transcotical approach and Telovelar approach. Surgical procedure duration was more than 10 hours in 12 cases (80%) and one third of the patients have been operated in 2018. When neurosurgical operative microscope was not available, ophthalmologic microscope or binocular with headlight were used to achieve the resection. Pathological examination revealed High-grade glioma, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA), central neurocytoma, Subependymoma, Hemangioblastoma, pilocytique astrocytoma, Medulloblastoma, gemiocytic astrocytoma, atypical papilloma of choroid plexus, craniopharygioma and cyst of septum pellucidum. We reported good postoperative outcome in 10 cases (66.6%), moderate postoperative deficit in 1 case and 4 cases of postoperative death (26.6%) among which 3 cases of postoperative meningitis. Conclusion: Periventricular and intraventricular processes can be safely approach in low-income country with acceptable result. However young African Neurosurgeon should be trained to be comfortable with multiple surgical approaches and also with binocular as well as with microscope. WFNS training program is a strong basement for the take-off of young African neurosurgeon. Backing home should be the rule after training, to develop neurosurgery.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Collagen Matrix to Hemostatic Gelatin Sponge as Socket Seal in Alveolar Ridge Preservation.

(1) Objectives: This study aimed to compare a collagen matrix to a hemostatic gelatin sponge as a socket seal in alveolar ridge preservation (ARP). (2) Methods: Systemically healthy patients planned for ARP at two sites with more than 50% of the buccal bone wall remaining after tooth extraction were eligible for inclusion. ARP involved socket grafting using collagen-enriched deproteinized bovine bone mineral. Sites were then randomly assigned to the test group (collagen matrix) or the control group (hemostatic gelatin sponge). The primary outcome was soft tissue thickness in the center of the site at 4 months, analyzed on cone-beam computed tomography. Secondary outcomes included the buccal and lingual soft tissue heights, horizontal bone loss, buccal soft tissue profile changes, wound dimensions, and Socket Wound Healing Score (SWHS). (3) Results: In total, 18 patients (12 females, 6 males) with a mean age of 57.3 years (SD 11.1) were included. Four months after ARP, the soft tissue thickness in the center of the site amounted to 2.48 mm (SD 0.70) in the test group and 1.81 mm (SD 0.69) in the control group. The difference of 0.67 mm (95% CI: 0.20-1.14) in favor of the collagen matrix was statistically significant (p < 0.009). The buccal soft tissue height was also statistically significantly higher for the collagen matrix (0.72 mm; 95% CI: 0.06-1.38; p = 0.034). A trend favoring the collagen matrix was found for the lingual soft tissue height (p = 0.066). No significant differences between the groups in terms of horizontal bone loss, buccal soft tissue profile changes, wound dimensions, and the SWHS were found. (4) Conclusions: The absence of significant differences in hard tissue outcomes suggests that both the collagen matrix and hemostatic gelatin sponge effectively sealed the extraction socket and supported bone preservation. However, the collagen matrix better maintained soft tissue dimensions. The clinical relevance of this finding with respect to the necessity for adjunctive soft tissue augmentation at the time of implant placement is yet to be studied.

Impact of MASLD and MetALD on clinical outcomes: A meta-analysis of preliminary evidence.

A recent Delphi consensus proposed a new definition for metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and introduced a disease entity called MetALD, a condition in which steatotic liver disease (SLD), metabolic dysfunction and moderate alcohol intake coexist. Given the limited available data on the prognostic implications of these disease entities, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of available cohort studies to evaluate the association of MASLD and MetALD with hard clinical outcomes. We included 5 studies for a total of 9 824 047 participants. Compared with participants without SLD, increased rates of all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular disease were present for both MASLD and MetALD. Moreover, MetALD was also associated with significantly higher risks of cancer-related mortality (n = 2 studies, random-effects HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.35-3.28) and cardiovascular mortality (n = 3 studies, random-effects HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.12-1.22). Although preliminary, available evidence indicates a more unfavourable prognosis for patients with MetALD compared with those with MASLD.