Mortality In Hemodialysis Patients Research Articles

Circulating Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 Level Predicts the Risk of Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients.

Background: Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is an oxidative enzyme of primary amines that facilitates the transmigration of inflammatory cells. Its oxidative and inflammatory effects are prominently increased in pathological conditions, such as metabolic, atherosclerotic, and cardiac diseases. However, the clinical significance of circulating VAP-1 levels in hemodialysis (HD) patients is unclear.Methods: A total of 434 HD patients were enrolled in a prospective multicenter cohort study between June 2016 and April 2019. Plasma VAP-1 levels were measured at the time of data entry, and the primary endpoint was defined as a composite of cardiovascular (CV) and cardiac events.Results: Circulating VAP-1 levels were positively correlated with plasma levels of cardiac remodeling markers, including brain natriuretic peptide, galectin-3, and matrix metalloproteinase-2. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with higher circulating VAP-1 levels were more likely to have left ventricular diastolic dysfunction [odds ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04–1.88]. The cumulative event rate of the composite of CV events was significantly greater in VAP-1 tertile 3 than in VAP-1 tertiles 1 and 2 (P = 0.009). Patients in tertile 3 were also associated with an increased cumulative event rate of cardiac events (P = 0.015), with a 2.06-fold higher risk each for CV (95% CI, 1.10–3.85) and cardiac (95% CI, 1.03–4.12) events after adjusting for multiple variables.Conclusions: Plasma VAP-1 levels were positively associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and the risk of incident CV and cardiac events in HD patients. Our results indicate that VAP-1 may aid clinicians in identifying HD patients at a high risk of CV events.

Association between facility-level adherence to phosphorus management guidelines and mortality in haemodialysis patients: a prospective cohort study

ObjectivesTo examine the association between facility-level adherence to phosphorus management guidelines and mortality among patients with haemodialysis, and to explore the facility-related factors associated with facility-level guideline adherence.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingThe...

Evaluation of Long-term Survival and Predictors of Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients by Using Time Dependent Variables, A Single Centre Cohort Analysis.

Introduction. Despite significant improvement in End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) patient’s management, and better availability of dialysis for caregivers, mortality among these patients is unacceptably high. Methods. We collected the data of 751 incident hemodialysis patients from March 2004 to November 2018. Survival curves was created by using the Kaplan-Meier method. Comorbidities, as well as time-dependent values of laboratory findings, were examined as independent factors by three models of Cox regression analysis. Results. The median follow-up period was 31.7 months (1.08 to 169.28). Patient survival rates were 88%, 77%, 56%, 32%, 26% ,16% and 12%, at 1, 2, 4,6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 years of follow-up, respectively. The most common cause of mortality was cardiovascular disease. We observed lower survival rates in patients ≥ 65 years (HR = 2.684, 95% CI: 1.133 to 3.377; P 1.2 (HR = 0.743, 95% CI: 0.635 to 0.870; P < .001) and high serum creatinine level (HR = 0.842, 95% CI: 0.811 to 0.874; P < .001) showed protective effects. Conclusion. Our study showed a high survival rate in a single center cohort of hemodialysis patients in Iran. Traditional risk factors of mortality in general population, as well as indices of dialysis efficacy and general health status were the main predictors of mortality. Nationwide registries are necessary to investigate the dialysis survival rates and their predictors in our country. DOI: 10.52547/ijkd.6435

Significant Association of Diabetes With Mortality of Chronic Hemodialysis Patients, Independent of the Presence of Obesity, Sarcopenia, and Sarcopenic Obesity

This retrospective cohort study investigated the association of diabetes with mortality in hemodialysis patients with regard to obesity, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity, along with examining the prevalence of each group and diabetes. Muscle strength, muscle mass, and fat mass were evaluated using a hand dynamometer and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, respectively, in 308 chronic hemodialysis patients (age 58.0±11.9years, hemodialysis duration 6.5±6.0years, males 60.1%, diabetes 32.8%). Sarcopenia was defined according to the new criteria established by the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia 2019. Obesity was defined by percent body fat mass (males ≥25%, females ≥35%). The enrolled patients were divided into the normal (38.7%), obesity (18.8%), sarcopenia (26.9%), and sarcopenic obesity (15.6%) groups. The prevalence of diabetes was significantly skewed among the 4 groups (χ2 test, P=.0057), being higher in the sarcopenic obesity group (54.2%) compared to the others (25.9-33.7%). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that diabetes was significantly and independently associated with sarcopenic obesity (odds ratio 3.495, 95% confidence interval 1.683-7.255, P=.0008) after adjustments for several cofounders, but not significantly associated with sarcopenia. During the follow-up period of 76±35 months, 100 patients died. Those in the sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity groups had significantly higher rates of all-cause mortality compared to patients in the normal and obesity groups (P=.0004, log-rank test). Furthermore, multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that presence of diabetes was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality in all 308 patients, after adjustments for several factors, including the presence of each group in 4 models. Sarcopenic obesity is highly prevalent in chronic hemodialysis patients. Diabetes was found to be a significant and independent contributor to the presence of sarcopenic obesity. Diabetes was shown to be a significant predictor of all-cause mortality, independent of the present normal, obesity, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity groups.

Dialyzer Classification and Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients: A 3-Year Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background: Dialyzers are classified as low-flux, high-flux, and protein-leaking membrane dialyzers internationally and as types I, II, III, IV, and V based on β2-microglobulin clearance rate in Japan. Type I dialyzers correspond to low-flux membrane dialyzers, types II and III to high-flux membrane dialyzers, and types IV and V to protein-leaking membrane dialyzers. Here we aimed to clarify the association of dialyzer type with mortality.Methods: This nationwide retrospective cohort study analyzed data from the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy Renal Data Registry from 2010 to 2013. We enrolled 238,321 patients on hemodialysis who were divided into low-flux, high-flux, and protein-leaking groups in the international classification and into type I to V groups in the Japanese classification. We assessed the associations of each group with 3-year all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazards models and performed propensity score matching analysis.Results: By the end of 2013, 55,308 prevalent dialysis patients (23.2%) had died. In the international classification subgroup analysis, the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was significantly higher in the low-flux group [1.12 (1.03–1.22), P = 0.009] and significantly lower in the protein-leaking group [0.95 (0.92–0.98), P = 0.006] compared with the high-flux group after adjustment for all confounders. In the Japanese classification subgroup analysis, the hazard ratios were significantly higher for types I [1.10 (1.02–1.19), P = 0.015] and II [1.10 (1.02–1.39), P = 0.014] but significantly lower for type V [0.91 (0.88–0.94), P < 0.0001] compared with type IV after adjustment for all confounders. These significant findings persisted after propensity score matching under both classifications.Conclusions: Hemodialysis using protein-leaking dialyzers might reduce mortality rates. Furthermore, type V dialyzers are superior to type IV dialyzers in hemodialysis patients.

Arteriovenous Fistula Flow Dysfunction Surveillance: Early Detection Using Pulse Radar Sensor and Machine Learning Classification

Vascular Access (VA) is often referred to as the “Achilles heel” for a Hemodialysis (HD)-dependent patient. Both the patent and sufficient VA provide adequacy for performing dialysis and reducing dialysis-related complications, while on the contrary, insufficient VA is the main reason for recurrent hospitalizations, high morbidity, and high mortality in HD patients. A non-invasive Vascular Wall Motion (VWM) monitoring system, made up of a pulse radar sensor and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification algorithm, has been developed to detect access flow dysfunction in Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF). The harmonic ratios derived from the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) spectrum-based signal processing technique were employed as the input features for the SVM classifier. The result of a pilot clinical trial showed that a more accurate prediction of AVF flow dysfunction could be achieved by the VWM monitor as compared with the Ultrasound Dilution (UD) flow monitor. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the SVM classification algorithm achieved a detection specificity of 100% at detection thresholds in the range from 500 to 750 mL/min and a maximum sensitivity of 95.2% at a detection threshold of 750 mL/min.

Zinc Deficient Intake in Hemodialysis Patients: A Path to a High Mortality Risk

Zinc is essential for human nutrition and plays an important role in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between zinc intake and mortality in HD patients. This is a longitudinal, prospective, multicenter study with 582 HD patients from 37 dialysis centers. We recorded clinical and body composition parameters. Dietary intake and physical activity data were obtained using the Food Frequency Questionnaire and International Physical Activity Questionnaire. All statistical tests were performed using SPSS 24.0 software. A P value lower than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Patients' mean age was 67.8±17.7years and median HD vintage was 65 (43-104) months. About 53.6% of the patients presented a deficient daily intake of zinc. Patients with the highest zinc intake were those who had a higher lean tissue index (P=.022), energy (P<.001), and protein (p=.022) intakes. Zinc intake was positively correlated with energy (r=0.709) and protein intake (r=0.805) and negatively correlated with the malnutrition screening tool score (r=-0.087). A higher energy, protein, and lower carbohydrates intake, as well as lower HD vintage and higher lean tissue index were predictors of zinc intake. A higher mortality risk was observed in patients with zinc intake below the recommended values, even after the adjustment for age, presence of diabetes, gender, dialysis vintage, albumin, lean tissue index, energy intake/kilogram, and level of physical activity (P=.021). There is a high prevalence of HD patients with an inadequate zinc intake, which is related to worse nutritional and body composition parameters and with a higher mortality risk.

The Association Between Uric Acid and Symmetric Dimethylarginine Levels in the Patients Undergoing Twice-weekly Hemodialysis

Background: Uric acid (UA) levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality in hemodialysis patients. However, there are still conflicting data on the mechanism of increased risks related to uric acid levels. Objectives: This study assessed the association between uric acid levels and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), as a marker of cardiovascular disease, in the subjects undergoing hemodialysis twice weekly. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. We included all the adults who underwent hemodialysis twice weekly for at least three months in our hospital. Subjects already on uric acid lowering therapy, pregnant or lactating women and those with a history of malignancy were excluded. Uric acid and SDMA levels were measured at the same time in pre-dialysis venous blood samples. Bivariate analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test or one-way ANOVA. Results: A total of 126 subjects were included. The median level of UA was 8.4 mg/dL (IQR: 2.6, min: 4.1, max: 13.6), and 72 subjects (57.14%) had UA levels of 8 mg/dL or higher. The median SDMA level was 535.5 (312.7) mmol/dL (min: 119.7, max: 1895.5). Subjects with UA levels &gt; 8 mg/dL had significantly higher SDMA levels compared to subjects with UA levels &lt; 8 mg/dL (550.1 (IQR: 357.25) vs 491.35 (IQR: 181.1), P: 0.0475). Conclusions: In twice-weekly hemodialysis patients, UA levels above 8 mg/dL were associated with increased SDMA levels.

The associations between orthostatic blood pressure changes and extracellular volume in hemodialysis patients.

Extracellular volume (ECV) predicts mortality in hemodialysis patients, but it is difficult to assess clinically. Peridialytic blood pressure (BP) measurements can help ECV assessment. Orthostatic BP is routinely measured clinically, but its association with ECV is unknown. In a cohort of hypertensive hemodialysis patients, we measured posthemodialysis ECV/weight with bioimpedance spectroscopy and analyzed its association with post-HD orthostatic BP measurements obtained during routine care. Using linear and logistic regression, the primary outcomes were orthostatic BP change and orthostatic hypotension (OH) defined by systolic BP decrease of at least 20 mmHg or diastolic decrease of at least 10 mmHg. Model 1 controlled for sex, age, and diabetes. Model 2 additionally controlled for ultrafiltration rate and antihypertensive medications. We conducted sensitivity analysis using OH definition of systolic BP decrease of at least 30 mmHg. Among 57 participants, mean orthostatic systolic BP change was -7.30 (20) mmHg and mean ECV/weight was 0.24 (0.04) L/kg. Post-HD ECV/weight was not associated with orthostatic systolic BP change (β=8.2, p=0.6). There were 16 participants with and 41 participants without OH. The ECV/weight did not differ between these groups (0.22 [0.04] vs. 0.24 [0.05] L/Kg, p=0.09) and did not predict OH in logistic regression (OR 11, 4.04; 95% CI 0.2-671, 0.03-0.530 in the two models.) In a sensitivity analysis, ECV/weight was lower in the OH group (0.22 [0.03] vs. 0.25 [0.04] L/kg, p=0.005), but this was accompanied by differences in sex and diabetes. Using logistic regression, there was no independent association between ECV/weight with OH. Orthostatic systolic BP change after HD completion is not a reliable indicator of posthemodialysis ECV. When considering other factors associated with orthostatic BP, ECV/weight is not independently associated with OH. Although transient postdialytic differences in intravascular volume may be associated with OH, posthemodialysis OH does not necessarily indicate ECV depletion.

Predicting hospital mortality in COVID-19 hemodialysis patients with developed scores.

Various risk scores such as COVID‐GRAM Critical Illness Risk Score (COVID‐GRAM), quick COVID‐19 Severity Index (qCSI), and systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII) have been developed to determine critical illness in hospitalized patients. None of these risk scoring systems was evaluated in HD patients who indeed carry the highest risk of developing critical illnesses. We aimed to evaluate, in hemodialysis (HD) patients with COVID‐19, the performance of these scoring systems for the need of intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality. The qCSI, COVID‐GRAM, and SII scores of the patients at admission to hospital were calculated and grouped according to the scoring results. The primary outcome of the study was mortality and need of ICU. Critical illness was described as a composition of admission to the ICU, invasive ventilation, or death. It was determined that when the qCSI is over 6.5, the need for ICU increased 13.8 times and mortality increased 21.3 times. When the COVID‐GRAM score is >157, the ICU need increased 14.7 times and the mortality increased 33.7 times. We found that the need for ICU increased 4.2 times and mortality increased 3.1 times when the SII score was >1145. These tests, which can be easily calculated, could be used to estimate the risk of developing critical illness among COVID‐19 HD patients. Estimating the risk of critical illness could help to reduce mortality in HD patients.

Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients with COVID-19, the Effect of Paricalcitol or Calcimimetics.

Background. In COVID-19 patients, low serum vitamin D (VD) levels have been associated with severe acute respiratory failure and poor prognosis. In regular hemodialysis (HD) patients, there is VD deficiency and markedly reduced calcitriol levels, which may predispose them to worse outcomes of COVID-19 infection. Some hemodialysis patients receive treatment with drugs for secondary hyperparathyroidism, which have well known pleiotropic effects beyond mineral metabolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of VD status and the administration of active vitamin D medications, used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism, on survival in a cohort of COVID-19 positive HD patients. Methods. A cross-sectional retrospective observational study was conducted from 12 March to 21 May 2020 in 288 HD patients with positive PCR for SARS-CoV2. Patients were from 52 different centers in Spain. Results. The percent of HD patients with COVID-19 was 6.1% (288 out of 4743). Mortality rate was 28.4% (81/285). Three patients were lost to follow-up. Serum 25(OH)D (calcidiol) level was 17.1 [10.6–27.5] ng/mL and was not significantly associated to mortality (OR 0.99 (0.97–1.01), p = 0.4). Patients receiving active vitamin D medications (16/94 (17%) vs. 65/191(34%), p = 0.003), including calcimimetics (4/49 (8.2%) vs. 77/236 (32.6%), p = 0.001), paricalcitol or calcimimetics (19/117 (16.2%) vs. 62/168 (36.9%); p < 0.001), and also those on both paricalcitol and calcimimetics, to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPTH) (1/26 (3.8%) vs. 80/259 (30.9%), p < 0.001) showed a lower mortality rate than patients receiving no treatment with either drug. Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed this increased survival. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that the use of paricalcitol, calcimimetics or the combination of both, seem to be associated with the improvement of survival in HD patients with COVID-19. No correlation was found between serum VD levels and prognosis or outcomes in HD patients with COVID-19. Prospective studies and clinical trials are needed to support these findings.

Influence of Tunneled Hemodialysis-Catheters on Inflammation and Mortality in Dialyzed Patients.

Older age and comorbidities in hemodialysis patients determines the use of tunneled catheters as vascular access despite their reported clinical and mortality disadvantages. This prospective matched study analyzes the impact of permanent catheters on inflammation and mortality in hemodialysis patients; We studied 108 patients, 54 with AV-fistula (AVF) and 54 with indwelling hemodialysis catheters (HDC) matched by sex, age, diabetes and time under renal-replacement therapy comparing dialysis efficacy, inflammation and micro-inflammation parameters as well as mortality. Cox-regression analysis was applied to determine predictors of mortality, HDC patients presented higher C-reactive-protein (CRP) blood levels and percentage of pro-inflammatory lymphocytes CD14+/CD16+ with worse dialysis-efficacy parameters. Thirty-six-months mortality appeared higher in the HDC group although statistical significance was not reached. Age with a Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.06, hypoalbuminemia (HR = 0.43), hypophosphatemia (HR = 0.75) and the increase in CD14+/CD16+ monocyte count (HR = 1.02) were predictors of mortality; elder patients dialyzing through HDC show increased inflammation parameters as compared with nAVF bearing patients, although they do not present a significant increase in mortality when matched by covariates. Increasing age and percentage of pro-inflammatory monocytes as well as decreased phosphate and serum-albumin were predictors of mortality and indicate the main conclusions or interpretations.

Aortic Arch Calcification and Cardiomegaly Are Associated with Overall and Cardiovascular Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients.

Patients with end-stage renal disease have a higher risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In this study, we investigated the predictive ability of a combination of cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) and aortic arch calcification (AoAC) for overall and cardiovascular mortality in patients receiving hemodialysis. We also evaluated the predictive power of AoAC and CTR for clinical outcomes. A total of 365 maintenance hemodialysis patients were included, and AoAC and CTR were measured using chest radiography at enrollment. We stratified the patients into four groups according to a median AoAC score of three and CTR of 50%. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to identify the risk factors of mortality. The predictive performance of the model for clinical outcomes was assessed using the χ2 test. Multivariable analysis showed that, compared to the AoAC < 3 and CTR < 50% group, the AoAC ≥ 3 and CTR < 50% group (hazard ratio [HR], 4.576; p < 0.001), and AoAC ≥ 3 and CTR ≥ 50% group (HR, 5.912; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with increased overall mortality. In addition, the AoAC < 3 and CTR ≥ 50% (HR, 3.806; p = 0.017), AoAC ≥ 3 and CTR < 50% (HR, 4.993; p = 0.002), and AoAC ≥ 3 and CTR ≥ 50% (HR, 8.614; p < 0.001) groups were significantly associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Furthermore, adding AoAC and CTR to the basic model improved the predictive ability for overall and cardiovascular mortality. The patients who had a high AoAC score and cardiomegaly had the highest overall and cardiovascular mortality among the four groups. Furthermore, adding AoAC and CTR improved the predictive ability for overall and cardiovascular mortality in the hemodialysis patients.

Is COVID-19 that different in hemodialysis patients?: A single-center experience

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected millions worldwide, and in particular the care of patients on maintenance hemodialysis. These patients are thought to be at high risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their older age and multiple comorbidities. The aim of this study was to compare hemodialysis and non-dialysis COVID-19 patients and find possible risk factors for mortality in hemodialysis patients. We developed a single-center retrospective cohort study, from March 1st to December 31st, 2020, that included maintenance hemodialysis patients hospitalized with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, and age and sex propensity matched non-dialysis patients also hospitalized with a laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (1:1). A total of 34 hemodialysis patients were included, 70.6% male, mean age 76.5 years and on maintenance hemodialysis for 3.0 [0.5-23] years. At admission, 50.0% needed oxygen supply. Median hospital stay duration was 11.0 [5.8-17.0] days, and 38.2% developed bacterial superinfection. Maintenance hemodialysis patient mortality rate was 32.4%. When matched to the non-dialysis group, the hemodialysis group developed more often respiratory insufficiency (50.0% vs 8.8%, p&lt;0.001) and had higher ferritin (1658.0 vs 623.5, p=0.004) and troponin T (130.0 vs 31.0, p&lt;0.001) levels, whereas the non-dialysis group had higher transaminases levels. There was no statistical difference regarding hospitalization time, bacterial superinfection, or mortality between groups. When the logistic regression was performed, only bacterial superinfection was a predictor for mortality in hemodialysis COVID-19 patients (0.01 [0.00-0.26]). There was no difference in hospital stay nor in death rate between hemodialysis and non-dialysis COVID-19 patients. Despite these results, we must emphasize that mortality in the dialysis group was particularly high, with up to 32% of in-hospital mortality, and that bacterial superinfection has been shown to be an independent predictor of mortality. These results highlight the importance of interventions, such as full vaccination coverage, to mitigate the burden of COVID-19 in hemodialysis patients.

Clinical Epidemiology of Systolic and Diastolic Orthostatic Hypotension in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis.

Blood pressure changes upon standing reflect a hemodynamic response, which depends on the baroreflex system and euvolemia. Dysautonomia and fluctuations in blood volume are hallmarks in kidney failure requiring replacement therapy. Orthostatic hypotension has been associated with mortality in hemodialysis patients, but neither this relationship nor the impact of changes in blood pressure has been tested in patients on peritoneal dialysis. We investigated both these relationships in a cohort of 137 PD patients. The response to orthostasis was assessed according to a standardized protocol. Twenty-five patients (18%) had systolic orthostatic hypotension, and 17 patients (12%) had diastolic hypotension. The magnitude of systolic and diastolic BP changes was inversely related to the value of the corresponding supine BP component (r = −0.16, p = 0.056 (systolic) and r = −0.25, p = 0.003 (diastolic), respectively). Orthostatic changes in diastolic, but not in systolic, BP were linearly related to the death risk (HR (1 mmHg reduction): 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.07, p = 0.006), and this was also true for CV death (HR: 1.08, 95% CI 1.03–1.12, p = 0.001). The strength of this association was not affected by further data adjustment (p ≤ 0.05). These findings suggest that independent of the formal diagnosis of orthostatic hypotension, even minor orthostatic reductions in diastolic BP bear an excess death risk in this population.

Diabetes acts on mortality in hemodialysis patients predicted by asymmetric dimethylarginine and inflammation

BackgroundThe mortality rate of diabetic patients on dialysis is higher than that of non-diabetic patients. Asymmetric dimethylarginine and inflammation are strong predictors of death in hemodialysis. This study aimed to evaluate asymmetric dimethylarginine and C-reactive protein interaction in predicting mortality in hemodialysis according to the presence or absence of diabetes. MethodsAsymmetric dimethylarginine and C-reactive protein were measured in 202 patients in maintenance hemodialysis assembled from 2011 to 2012 and followed for four years. Effect modification of C-reactive protein on the relationship between asymmetric dimethylarginine and all-cause mortality was investigated dividing the population into four categories according to the median of asymmetric dimethylarginine and C-reactive protein. ResultsAsymmetric dimethylarginine and C-reactive protein levels were similar between diabetics and non-diabetics. Asymmetric dimethylarginine – median IQR μM – (1.95 1.75–2.54 versus 1.03 0.81–1.55 P=0.000) differed in non-diabetics with or without evolution to death (HR 2379 CI 1.36–3.68 P=0.000) and was similar in diabetics without or with evolution to death. Among non-diabetics, the category with higher asymmetric dimethylarginine and C-reactive protein levels exhibited the highest mortality (69.0% P=0.000). No differences in mortality were seen in diabetics. A joint effect was found between asymmetric dimethylarginine and C-reactive protein, explaining all-cause mortality (HR 15.21 CI 3.50–66.12 P=0.000). ConclusionsAsymmetric dimethylarginine is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in non-diabetic patients in hemodialysis. Other risk factors may overlap asymmetric dimethylarginine in people with diabetes. Inflammation dramatically increases the risk of death associated with high plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine in hemodialysis.

RELATION BETWEEN SERUM FERRITIN AND LEFT VENTRICULAR FUNCTIONS IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

Background: Cardiovascular disease is still the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. High serum ferritin is correlated with mortality and cardiovascular outcome in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Objective: To evaluate relationship between serum ferritin level and left ventricular functions and cardiovascular outcomes in hemodialysis patients. Patients and methods: Sixty hemodialysis (HD) patients from Clinic of Internal Medicine Department, Al-Sayed Galal University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt between December 2019 and June 2020. Were enrolled Left ventricular mass (LVM), Left ventricular mass index (LVMi) and Left ventricular mass/height 2.7 (LVM/Ht2.7) were evaluated with transthoracic echocardiography. Patients were classified into two groups according to serum ferritin into 30 patients with serum Ferritin < 800 ng/ml (Group A), and 30 patients with serum Ferritin ≥ 800 ng/ml (Group B). Results: We found statistically significant difference (p-value < 0.05) between studied groups as regard LVESD and LVM/Ht2.7, and statistical significant difference (p-value < 0.001) between studied groups as regard LVEDD and LVMI. The LVEDD, LVMI, LVESD and LVM/Ht2.7 values were significantly higher in group B (High Ferritin) compared with group A (Low ferritin). Conclusion: High serum ferritin level (≥ 800 μg/L) was positively associated with left ventricular hypertrophy in hemodialysis patients.

Mortality of hemodialysis patients is associated with their clinical situation at the start of treatment

IntroductionPrevious reports have shown very high mortality among hemodialyisis patients. Our goal was to analyze the mortality of patients in the Renal Registry of Patients who remained exclusively on hemodialysis treatment. MethodsThe cohort of patients who started treatment in the community of Castilla-La Mancha between 2010 and 2012 and remained on hemodialysis treatment was analysed until the end of 2017. Age, sex, primary kidney disease, vascular access, hemoglobin, Charlson index and serum albumin were included. ResultsMortality rate was 63,4% after 5 years and 76% at the end of the study, with no difference between males and females, and was linked to an older age, urgent onset or in those with acute deterioration of chronic kidney disease, the use of catheters or albumin less than 3.5 g/dl. ConclusionsMortality in patients who remain on hemodialysis is very high and is associated with non-modifiable factors such as age but also others that we can prevent or treat such as type of vascular access or nutrition status at the beginning of treatment.

Ultrafiltration rate adjusted to body weight and mortality in hemodialysis patients

Background and aimsMortality among hemodialysis patients remains high. An elevated ultrafiltration rate adjusted by weight (UFR/W) has been associated with hypotension and higher risk of death and/or cardiovascular events. MethodsWe evaluated the association between UFR/W and mortality in 215 hemodialysis patients. The mean follow-up was 28 ± 6.12 months. We collected patients’ baseline characteristics and mean UFR/W throughout the follow-up. ResultsMean UFR/W was 9.0 ± 2,4 and tertiles 7.1 y 10.1 mL/kg/h. We divided our population according to the percentage of sessions with UFR/W above the limits described in the literature associated with increased mortality (10.0 ml/kg/h and 13.0 mL/kg/h). Patients with higher UFR/W were younger, with higher interdialytic weight gain and weight reduction percentage but lower dry, pre and post dialysis weight. Throughout the follow-up, 46 (21.4%) patients died, the majority over 70 years old, diabetic or with cardiovascular disease. There were neither differences regarding mortality between groups nor differences in UFR/W among patients who died and those who did not. Contrary to previous studies, we did not find an association between UFR/W and mortality, maybe due to a higher prevalence in the use of cardiovascular protection drugs and lower UFR/W. ConclusionsThe highest UFR/W were observed in younger patients with lower weight and were not associated with an increased mortality.

Association between serum advanced oxidation protein products and mortality risk in maintenance hemodialysis patients

BackgroundThe association between serum advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and mortality risk remains equivocal. We aimed to assess the correlation of serum AOPP levels with the risk of all-cause mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients.MethodsA total of 1394 maintenance HD patients with complete data on AOPP and related parameters were included from China Collaborative Study on Dialysis (CCSD), a multi-center, prospective cohort study. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, the secondary outcome was cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.ResultsDuring a median follow-up duration of 5.2 years (IQR, 2.1–5.4), all-cause mortality occurred in 492 (31.4%) participants. Overall, there was a reversed L-shaped association between serum AOPP and all-cause mortality in HD patients (P for nonlinearity = 0.04), with an inflection point at 87 µmol/L. Accordingly, there was no significant association between serum AOPP and all-cause mortality (per SD increment; HR, 0.94; 95%CI, 0.84, 1.05) in participants with AOPP < 87 µmol/L. However, there was a positive relationship of serum AOPP and all-cause mortality (per SD increment; HR, 1.24; 95%CI, 1.08, 1.42) in those with AOPP ≥ 87 µmol/L. Moreover, a similar trend was found for CVD mortality.ConclusionsElevated serum AOPP levels were associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality in Chinese maintenance HD patients.