Prevalence Of Renal Replacement Therapy Research Articles

Twenty years of the French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network.

The French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) is 20years old. It is not just a national data registry, but rather an epidemiological and informational network serving patients with chronic kidney disease, nephrology teams and health services. The past 10-year trends of the incidence and prevalence of renal replacement therapy by dialysis or kidney transplantation and waitlist activity are presented. To detect potential significant changes in trends from 2012 and 2021, a Joinpoint regression model was used. The overall incidence of treated end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) was 169 per million population (pmp) in 2021. It was stable despite an increase in the incidence of diabetes. We found a decreasing trend in the proportion of patients starting dialysis in an emergency but an increase in those starting haemodialysis (HD) with a temporary catheter. Peritoneal dialysis decreased by 1.7% each year, whereas home HD, although involving only 1% of dialysis patients, increased by 10% each year. For patients not treated at home, the median time to drive from the patient's home to the dialysis unit was 17min. The proportion of patients on the transplantation waitlist at the start of dialysis increased from 7% to 12%. Among the 111263 new ESKD patients from 2012 to 2021, 8% received a first transplant at 1year and 20% at 5years. Among kidney transplant recipients, the mean time on the waitlist increased from 13.8 to 22.6months. Living donor transplants increased in frequency, representing 15% of kidney transplants. Data from the REIN registry allow for the evaluation of needs and provide a planning tool for French authorities. The progressive implementation of automatic data retrieval from dialysis informatics charts might alleviate the burden of data collection. Furthermore, the research activity the REIN engenders, resulting in renewed confidence by health authorities in the dynamism of French nephrology, allows for an optimistic outlook for the REIN.

Development of the simulation-based German albuminuria screening model (S-GASM) for estimating the cost-effectiveness of albuminuria screening in Germany.

Chronic kidney disease is often asymptomatic in its early stages but constitutes a severe burden for patients and causes major healthcare systems costs worldwide. While models for assessing the cost-effectiveness of screening were proposed in the past, they often presented only a limited view. This study aimed to develop a simulation-based German Albuminuria Screening Model (S-GASM) and present some initial applications. The model consists of an individual-based simulation of disease progression, considering age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, albuminuria, glomerular filtration rate, and quality of life, furthermore, costs of testing, therapy, and renal replacement therapy with parameters based on published evidence. Selected screening scenarios were compared in a cost-effectiveness analysis. Compared to no testing, a simulation of 10 million individuals with a current age distribution of the adult German population and a follow-up until death or the age of 90 shows that a testing of all individuals with diabetes every two years leads to a reduction of the lifetime prevalence of renal replacement therapy from 2.5% to 2.3%. The undiscounted costs of this intervention would be 1164.10 € / QALY (quality-adjusted life year). Considering saved costs for renal replacement therapy, the overall undiscounted costs would be-12581.95 € / QALY. Testing all individuals with diabetes or hypertension and screening the general population reduced the lifetime prevalence even further (to 2.2% and 1.8%, respectively). Both scenarios were cost-saving (undiscounted, - 7127.10 €/QALY and-5439.23 €/QALY). The S-GASM can be used for the comparison of various albuminuria testing strategies. The exemplary analysis demonstrates cost savings through albuminuria testing for individuals with diabetes, diabetes or hypertension, and for population-wide screening.

The ERA Registry Annual Report 2019: summary and age comparisons.

ABSTRACTBackgroundData on renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease were collected by the European Renal Association (ERA) Registry via national and regional renal registries in Europe and countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This article provides a summary of the 2019 ERA Registry Annual Report, including data from 34 countries and additional age comparisons.MethodsIndividual patient data for 2019 were provided by 35 registries and aggregated data by 17 registries. Using these data, the incidence and prevalence of RRT, the kidney transplantation activity and the survival probabilities were calculated.ResultsIn 2019, a general population of 680.8 million people was covered by the ERA Registry. Overall, the incidence of RRT was 132 per million population (p.m.p.). Of these patients, 62% were men, 54% were ≥65 years of age and 21% had diabetes mellitus as primary renal disease (PRD), and 84% had haemodialysis (HD), 11% had peritoneal dialysis (PD) and 5% had pre-emptive kidney transplantation as an initial treatment modality. The overall prevalence of RRT on 31 December 2019 was 893 p.m.p., with 58% of patients on HD, 5% on PD and 37% living with a kidney transplant. The overall kidney transplant rate was 35 p.m.p. and 29% of the kidney grafts were from a living donor. The unadjusted 5-year survival probability was 42.3% for patients commencing dialysis, 86.6% for recipients of deceased donor grafts and 94.4% for recipients of living donor grafts in the period 2010–14. When comparing age categories, there were substantial differences in the distribution of PRD, treatment modality and kidney donor type, and in the survival probabilities.

COVID-19 in pediatric patients undergoing chronic dialysis and kidney transplantation

The study aims to present the incidence of COVID-19 in pediatric patients undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT) and to compare the severity and outcomes of the disease between the dialysis and kidney transplant (KTx) groups. This multicenter observational study was conducted between 1 April and 31 December 2020 in Istanbul. Members of the Istanbul branch of the Turkish Pediatric Nephrology Association were asked to report all confirmed cases of COVID-19 who were on RRT, as well as the number of prevalent RRT patients under the age of 20. A total of 46 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported from 12 centers, of which 17 were dialysis patients, and 29 were KTx recipients. Thus, the incidence rate of COVID-19 was 9.3% among dialysis patients and 9.2% among KTx recipients over a 9-month period in Istanbul. Twelve KTx recipients and three dialysis patients were asymptomatic (p = 0.12). Most of the symptomatic patients in both the dialysis and KTx groups had a mild respiratory illness. Only two patients, one in each group, experienced a severe disease course, and only one hemodialysis patient had a critical illness that required mechanical ventilation. In the entire cohort, one hemodialysis patient with multiple comorbidities died.Conclusion: While most cases are asymptomatic or have a mild disease course, pediatric patients undergoing dialysis and a kidney transplant are at increased risk for COVID-19. What is Known:• In adult population, both dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients are at increased risk for severe illness of COVID-19 and have higher mortality rate.• Children with kidney transplantation are not at increased risk for COVID-19 and most have mild disease course.• Data on children on dialysis are scarce.What is New:• Pediatric patients undergoing dialysis and kidney transplantation have an increased risk for COVID-19.• Most patients undergoing renal replacement therapy either on dialysis or transplanted develop asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 disease with a favorable outcome.

Development and validation of point-of-care testing of albuminuria for early screening of chronic kidney disease.

IntroductionChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant global health issue. As the prevalence of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Thailand is increasing, early detection and management of CKD is the most important step to prevent CKD progression and the need for RRT. Current diagnostic tests for CKD are non‐specific and expensive. We aimed to develop and validate antibody‐based‐albumin point‐of‐care testing (POCT) to detect patients with impaired kidney function at early stage.MethodsThe prototype strip test was developed under the concept of competitive lateral flow immunochromatography assay, or strip test. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to human serum albumin (HSA) were harvested from the hybridomas of spleen cells from immunized mice and mouse myeloma cells. Presence of MAbs was detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Spot urine was obtained from patients with kidney disease, type I, or type II Diabetes Mellitus upon their visit at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during 2018–2019. All samples were analyzed for urine albumin with our POCT (CU microalbumin) and the other two commercial POCTs (Microalbu PHAN and MICRAL). The results were validated against standard method for urine microalbumin measurement. A urine microalbumin concentration of less than 20 ug/ml was defined as normal. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated in comparison with the standard laboratory method.ResultA total of 100 adult patients were included. CU microalbumin had a sensitivity of 86%, a specificity of 94%, and a positive predictive value of 96%. Our POCT showed good correlation with the laboratory results.ConclusionCU microalbumin correlated well with the standard method for quantitative measurement of urine albumin. Therefore, it has the potential for early screening of CKD, especially in primary health care facilities in resource limited settings.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease among Relatives of Hemodialysis Patients in Saudi Arabia

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious health issue in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In KSA, there are currently over 20,000 patients on dialysis and 9,810 patients undergoing follow up after kidney transplantation.1 The combined prevalence of renal replacement therapy in Saudi Arabia is estimated at 294.3 per million population.1

The future of the artificial kidney.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing worldwide. In India, diabetes mellitus and hypertension are the leading causes of chronic kidney disease and ESRD. Hemodialysis is the most prevalent renal replacement therapy (RRT) in India. The ideal RRT must mimic the complex structure of the human kidney while maintaining the patient's quality of life. The quest for finding the ideal RRT, the “artificial kidney”– that can be replicated in the clinical setting and scaled-up across barriers– continues to this date. This review aims to outline the developments, the current status of the artificial kidney and explore its future potential.

Iron and Chronic Kidney Disease: Still a Challenge.

Anemia is a clinical feature of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Most common causes are iron and erythropoietin deficiency. The last two decades have yielded significant advances in understanding iron balance's physiology, including iron trafficking and the crosstalk between iron, oxygen, and erythropoiesis. This knowledge sheds new light on the regulation and disturbance of iron homeostasis in CKD and holds the promise for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic tools to improve the management of iron disorders. Hepcidin–ferroportin axis has a central role in regulating body iron balance and coordinating communication between tissues and cells that acquire, store, and utilize iron. Recent research has revealed a bidirectional relationship between fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and iron status, anemia, and inflammation, as well as the role of erythroferrone (ERFE) in iron homeostasis. However, ERFE concentrations and actions are not well-characterized in CKD patients. Studies on ERFE in CKD are limited with slightly conflicting results. Despite general interest in iron metabolism in kidney diseases, studies on the less prevalent renal replacement therapy mode, such as peritoneal dialysis or hemodiafiltration, are scarce. Slightly more was published on hemodialysis. There are several novel options on the horizon; however, clinical data are limited. One should be aware of the potential risks and benefits of the novel, sophisticated therapies. An inhibition of hepcidin on the different pathways might be also a viable adjunctive therapeutic option in other clinical situations.

Heart Rate Variability and Prognosis in Hemodialysis Patients: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) means the variation in time of beat-to-beat interval. Lower HRV has been shown to be related with death and cardiovascular events in previous studies. In the last few years, the number of patients with ESRD has increased steadily. Maintenance hemodialysis is the most prevalent renal replacement therapy in patients with ESRD. This study aims to investigate if decreased HRV is an independent predictor of mortality in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Methods: Pubmed/Medline, EMBASE, Ovid, the Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched up to October 1, 2019, for full-text articles in English. Cohort studies reporting the association between HRV and prognosis in hemodialysis patients were selected. Data extraction was performed by 2 reviewers independently, with adjudication by a third reviewer. Extracted data included the study characteristics, HRV measurement and research outcomes. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled in a random-effects model for outcomes of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Heterogeneity assessment, subgroup analyses, and sensitivity analysis were conducted. Results: A total of 7 studies were eligible. HRV metrics consist of SDNN, SDANN, RMSSD, pNN50, HRVTI, ULF, VLF, LF, HF, LF/HF ratio, HRT, DC, and scaling exponents α1 and α2. Decreased HRV was associated with higher all-cause mortality (HR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.11–2.39, p = 0.014) and cardiovascular mortality (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00–1.15, p = 0.045). Among the different HRV metrics, decreased SDANN (p < 0.001) and decreased LF/HF ratio (p = 0.001) were identified as predictors of all-cause death. Decreased SDNN, SDANN, and LF/HF ratio were identified as predictors of cardiovascular death (p = 0.004, p = 0.001, and p = 0.002). Conclusions: Decreased HRV is associated with higher risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death in the hemodialysis population. Decreased SDANN and LF/HF were identified as predictors of both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, while the utility of other HRV metrics requires further investigation. The protocol for this study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019141886).

Incidence, prevalence and crude survival of patients starting dialysis in Portugal (2010-16): analysis of the National Health System individual registry.

BackgroundThe Portuguese Society of Nephrology (PSN) reported that Portugal has one of the highest incidences of dialysis in Europe. However, this claim was based on aggregated data supplied by dialysis providers, hampering comparisons between countries. In 2009, an individual registry of patients starting dialysis was set up by the Portuguese Ministry of Health. We analysed individual data of patients starting dialysis from January 2010 until December 2016.MethodsDemography, starting treatment day, modality, regional distribution and outcomes, such as death, recovery of renal function, transfer to renal transplantation, peritoneal dialysis or conservative management, were extracted. Incidence, prevalence and survival analysis were calculated and compared with the PSN registry.ResultsOut of 19 190 registrations, 16 775 were incident patients (61.8% men). Yearly incidence of renal replacement therapy was 250, 248, 229, 239, 230, 231 and 244 per million population (p.m.p.) for 2010 to 2016, compared with 235, 224, 218, 230, 234, 225 and 239 p.m.p. reported by the PSN registry. On the other hand, prevalence increased from 998 p.m.p. in 2010 to 1286 p.m.p. in 2016, compared with 1010 p.m.p. in 2010 increasing to 1203 p.m.p. in 2016 from the PSN registry. The regions of Alentejo (122.9 p.m.p.) and the the Centre (160.8 p.m.p.) had the lowest regional incidence, while Lisbon had the highest (386 p.m.p. in 2016). Unadjusted survival analysis revealed that 93.5% of the patients were alive on the 91st day, whereas 85.2 and 78.3% were alive at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Crude survival at 7 years was 40%.ConclusionsFor the first time, an individual registry of patients starting dialysis in Portugal was subject to analysis and added new information about long-term survival and regional differences in the incidence and prevalence of renal replacement therapy. We were able to confirm that Portugal has one of the world’s highest incidences and prevalences of dialysis. We also demonstrate, for the first time, a striking regional difference in the incidence of dialysis and an excellent early and long-term survival of patients on dialysis. These results compare well with other European countries in terms of the dialysis efficiency.

The ERA-EDTA Registry Annual Report 2017: a summary.

BackgroundThis article presents a summary of the 2017 Annual Report of the European Renal Association–European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) Registry and describes the epidemiology of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in 37 countries.MethodsThe ERA-EDTA Registry received individual patient data on patients undergoing RRT for ESRD in 2017 from 32 national or regional renal registries and aggregated data from 21 registries. The incidence and prevalence of RRT, kidney transplantation activity and survival probabilities of these patients were calculated.ResultsIn 2017, the ERA-EDTA Registry covered a general population of 694 million people. The incidence of RRT for ESRD was 127 per million population (pmp), ranging from 37 pmp in Ukraine to 252 pmp in Greece. A total of 62% of patients were men, 52% were ≥65 years of age and 23% had diabetes mellitus as the primary renal disease. The treatment modality at the onset of RRT was haemodialysis for 85% of patients. On 31 December 2017, the prevalence of RRT was 854 pmp, ranging from 210 pmp in Ukraine to 1965 pmp in Portugal. The transplant rate in 2017 was 33 pmp, ranging from 3 pmp in Ukraine to 103 pmp in the Spanish region of Catalonia. For patients commencing RRT during 2008–12, the unadjusted 5-year patient survival probability for all RRT modalities combined was 50.8%.

Challenges of Vascular Access in the Pediatric Population.

The incidence and prevalence of renal replacement therapy has continued to increase in the pediatric population. Recent data have shown that hemodialysis was the most frequently used dialysis modality, especially in pediatric ESRD patients (age 0-21years). A well-functioning vascular access is required for effective hemodialysis and choosing the best vascular access option for pediatric patients can be difficult. Pediatric vascular options include arteriovenous fistula, arteriovenous graft, and central venous catheters (CVCs). There is a national initiative for fistula first-catheter last approach; however, CVCs have been reported as the most conventionally utilized vascular access option in pediatric patients. The use of CVCs should be minimized or avoided as they are associated with high risk of infections, thrombosis, and other complications. Thus, it is important for practitioners to plan appropriately in advance, practice good clinical judgment, and assure that the best vascular access is placed according to the patient's needs. Therefore, this article reviews the different types of pediatric vascular access and the associated benefits and potential complications of each.

SAT-211 SURVIVAL OF SOUTH AFRICAN PATIENTS ON RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY

In South Africa, the majority of patients rely on a resource-constrained public healthcare system, where access to renal replacement therapy (RRT) is strictly rationed. The prevalence of RRT in the public health care sector (68 per million population, pmp) is less than one-tenth the prevalence in the private healthcare sector (798 pmp). Data on the outcomes of RRT, such as survival, may influence policies and resource allocation. Our aim was to evaluate, for the first time, the survival of South African patients on RRT. We were particularly interested in the effect of healthcare sector on survival and, given South Africa’s HIV epidemic, the effect of HIV on survival. SARR data were used to estimate 1-year survival in patients on RRT. The incident cohort included patients who initiated treatment between January 2013 and September 2016. The prevalent cohort included those on RRT on 31 December 2015. Data were collected on potential risk factors for mortality, including age, ethnicity, primary renal diagnosis (PRD), first RRT modality, HIV status, healthcare sector (public or private), and province of residence . Failure events included stopping treatment without recovery of renal function, and death. Patients were censored if they were alive on RRT at 1 year, recovered renal function, or were lost to follow-up. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate one-year survival. Multivariable Cox regression was used to examine the association of potential risk factors with survival in incident patients, while logistic regression was used in prevalent patients. In the incident cohort (n=6187), the mean age was 51.8 years, 54% were black, 44% were diabetic, 10% were HIV positive, and 82% had haemodialysis (HD) as their first RRT modality. Overall 1-year survival was 90.4% (95%CI 89.6-91.2). Higher mortality was independently associated with older age, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) of unknown aetiology, and province of residence. More specifically, patients residing in Eastern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape had worse one-year survival compared to those residing in the Western Cape. There were no differences in mortality based on ethnicity, diabetic status or healthcare sector. One-year survival was 95.7% and 93.8% in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients, respectively. One-fifth had no data on HIV-status and the survival in this group was considerably lower at 74.8% (p<0.001). In the prevalent cohort (n=10155), baseline characteristics and one-year survival were similar to that of the incident group. Higher mortality was independently associated with older age and diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, higher mortality was associated with HD as a treatment modality when compared to kidney transplantation. The survival rates of South African patients who access chronic dialysis and transplantation services are comparable to those in better-resourced countries. Although the RRT prevalence in the public health sector is low, the survival of those patients who are accommodated is good, and this should encourage government to increase access to life-sustaining RRT. It is still unclear what effect, if any, HIV status has on patient survival.

Burden of disease: Prevalence and incidence of endstage renal disease in Middle Eastern countries.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is one of the leading non-communicable diseases worldwide which at the same time costs immense amount of both financial and human resources. The number of ESRD patients continues to grow, and the need to provide different modalities of renal replacement therapy (RRT) increases. We conducted a retrospective study on the incidence and prevalence of RRT in the Middle East (ME) and the treatment modality, and correlated the findings with the economic status. The predominant age group of patients receiving RRT in ME countries is 0-39, compared with the age group of 25-59 in Western countries. The reported prevalence of RRT is directly proportional to the economic status of the country, with low-income countries having low prevalence of RRT and high-income countries having higher prevalence. Diabetes mellitus (DM) as the leading cause of ESRD has a high prevalence in the ME according to the World Health Organization (WHO); the projected prevalence by the year 2035 is 85%. RRT in ME shows 75.81% of patients are on hemodialysis (HD), 3.25% on peritoneal dialysis (PD), and 20.93% were post-transplant recipients. Internationally, 77%, 16%, and 6% were on HD, PD, and post-transplant, respectively, in Europe; 63.1%, 6.9%, and 29.6% in the USA; and 12%, 70%, and 18% in Mexico. HD was the predominant modality of RRT in ME, while PD is underutilized, and transplantation was mostly from living donors; deceased-donor transplantation is not available in many countries. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is the main provider of RRT in ME; next, charitable organizations provide a significant proportion of RRT; and lastly, through private sectors for patients who could afford the cost of the therapy. In our survey, kidney transplantation in ME was mainly from living donors with almost 77.7% of the total kidneys transplanted while deceased donors comprised 22.3%. The overall graft survival was 93.7% and 84.23% after 1 and 5 years, respectively. Internationally, there are 17 accessible renal registries, compared with only 1 in the ME, resident in Saudi Arabia. Of the patients receiving RRT, 80% are on HD; chronic kidney disease (CKD) is found in ~10% of the population in the region. There is a high CKD burden in the ME countries. There needs to be emphasis on prevention of ESRD and provision of adequate care for the total ESRD patient population. National renal registries are needed to monitor the status of ESRD patients. Health expenditures should be increased to cover all aspects of RRT in ME Countries.

Chronic kidney disease of unknown cause in Mexico: The case of Poncitlan, Jalisco.

Chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu) is relatively common in low- and middle-income countries. A high prevalence of CKDu has been reported among the inhabitants of Poncitlan, Mexico. We did a cross-sectional study to compare the characteristics of residents in Poncitlan, a very poor municipality, with those from other municipalities in Jalisco state. We also estimated the prevalence of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in this region. We assessed 51,789 individuals in Jalisco: 16,351 (32.1%) were men, mean age 51.8±15.3 years; 650 (1.3%) were aged &lt;18 years. Overall the prevalence of CKD (10.5%) and proteinuria (11.5%), were similar to the overall Mexican population. There were 283 adult and 144 child participants who resided in Poncitlan: adults were more likely to be female (78.0 vs. 67.9%, p=0.000) but were of similar age as compared to those from other municipalities; children were younger (8.78±3.97 vs. 15.03±2.57 years, p=0.000) but had a similar proportion of females compared to children from other municipalities. In Poncitlan, the prevalence of CKD and proteinuria were both higher in adults compared to those from other municipalities (CKD: 20.1 vs. 10.4%, p=0.002; proteinuria: 36.1 vs. 11.0%, p=0.000), and the prevalence of proteinuria in children was also higher (44.4 vs. 4.8%, p=0.000). However, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and obesity were lower in Poncitlan than elsewhere. The prevalence of RRT in Poncitlan was 2,228 pmp, twice as high as the prevalence for Jalisco state as a whole. In conclusion, CKD and proteinuria were detected frequently in residents of the Poncitlan community. Future studies should consider the possibility that CKDu is due to multifactorial causes, especially in poor communities. .

2017 Annual Report Digest of the Renal Epidemiology Information Network (REIN) registry.

The French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) registry started in 2002 with the goal to provide a tool to evaluate renal replacement therapy (RRT) practices and outcomes, to provide data for research and to support public health decisions related to end-stage renal disease ESRD. This summary presents the incidence and prevalence of RRT including kidney transplantation and wait-listing activity in 2017, and patients' survival and trends over 5years. In 2017, 11543 patients started RRT for ESRD, that is, incidence of 172 pmp. Between 2012 and 2017, the incidence of RRT increased by 1% per year [CI 95% (0.0; +2.0)]. On 31 December 2017, 87275 patients were receiving RRT, that is, prevalence of 1294 pmp, 55% on dialysis, 45% with a functioning transplant. In 2017, 3782 kidney transplantations have been performed including 16% from a living donor, 13% being retransplantations and 15% pre-emptive transplantations. The median time on the waiting list was 19.7months when only taking into account active waiting periods on the list. In 2017, 5280 new patients were registered on the renal transplant waiting list (i.e. 78.7 pmp). The number of patients considered as 'inactive' represented 45% of the patients on the list.

Global Aspects of Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease has a high prevalence and a high mortality rate worldwide. Although diabetes and hypertension are common, unique causes of kidney disease may occur driven by infections, exposures, or genetic susceptibilities. Certain agricultural areas in particular have a high incidence of tubulointerstitial kidney disease of unclear etiology. Risk factors may include heat stress, pesticides, heavy metals, and other environmental toxins. Furthermore, countries have disproportionately different prevalence of renal replacement therapy, which seems to correlate in part to the type of health coverage. The future challenges for the nephrology community worldwide will be dealing with the growing number of patients with end-stage kidney disease, the fragmented healthcare in some countries, shortage of kidney transplantation programs, and deficient registries to appropriately assess the prevalence of kidney disease. This review contains 4 figures, 3 tables, and 54 references. Key Words: acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, epidemiology, ethnic background, HIV-associated nephropathy, noncommunicable diseases, renal replacement therapy, screening, socioeconomic status

The European Renal Association – European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) Registry Annual Report 2016: a summary

BackgroundThis article summarizes the ERA-EDTA Registry’s 2016 Annual Report, by describing the epidemiology of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in 2016 within 36 countries.Methods In 2017 and 2018, the ERA-EDTA Registry received data on patients undergoing RRT for ESRD in 2016 from 52 national or regional renal registries. In all, 32 registries provided individual patient data and 20 provided aggregated data. The incidence and prevalence of RRT and the survival probabilities of these patients were determined.Results In 2016, the incidence of RRT for ESRD was 121 per million population (pmp), ranging from 29 pmp in Ukraine to 251 pmp in Greece. Almost two-thirds of patients were men, over half were aged ≥65 years and almost a quarter had diabetes mellitus as their primary renal diagnosis. Treatment modality at the start of RRT was haemodialysis for 84% of patients. On 31 December 2016, the prevalence of RRT was 823 pmp, ranging from 188 pmp in Ukraine to 1906 pmp in Portugal. In 2016, the transplant rate was 32 pmp, varying from 3 pmp in Ukraine to 94 pmp in the Spanish region of Catalonia. For patients commencing RRT during 2007–11, the 5-year unadjusted patient survival probability on all RRT modalities combined was 50.5%. For 2016, the incidence and prevalence of RRT were higher among men (187 and 1381 pmp) than women (101 and 827 pmp), and men had a higher rate of kidney transplantation (59 pmp) compared with women (33 pmp). For patients starting dialysis and for patients receiving a kidney transplant during 2007–11, the adjusted patient survival probabilities appeared to be higher for women than for men.

South African Renal Registry Annual Report 2017

The sixth annual report of the South African Renal Registry summarises the 2017 data on renal replacement therapy (RRT) for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in South Africa. In December 2017, the number of patients with ESRD who were treated with chronic dialysis or transplantation stood at 10 744, a prevalence of 190 per million population (pmp). The growing prevalence observed since the registry was established is due mainly to the increasing numbers of patients accessing haemodialysis in the private sector, where the prevalence was 855 pmp. In the public sector, which serves 84% of the South African population, the prevalence of RRT (66 pmp) remained below the level reported for 1994, so that the disparity in access continued to increase. The disparities between provinces remained, with Limpopo and Mpumalanga the most under-served, as did the disparities between ethnic groups, with Blacks being the most under-served group. The Western Cape was the province with the highest public sector treatment rates and was also where most of the country’s public sector kidney transplants were performed.

A prospective study on the burden of renal replacement therapy and pattern of comorbidities among chronic kidney disease patients in clinical practice

Background: The high rate of renal replacement therapy, respective clinical staging, and pattern of associated specific comorbidities/complications among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients can influence and predispose them to increase morbidity, mortality, and health-care cost. In addition, there could also be a prolongation in the length of hospital stay and recurrent frequency of hospitalization. Aim: This study was predominantly designed to highlight and create awareness concerning the burden of renal replacement therapy and pattern of associated specific comorbidities/complications among CKD patients in renal practice. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive, prospective study of 18-month duration that was carried out to review the medical case records of consented adult CKD patients attending a Nigerian Tertiary Kidney Care Hospital from January 2015 to June 2016. Results: This study involved 123 consented adult CKD patients made up of 82 (66.67%) males and 41 (33.33%) females with a mean age of 53.81 ± 16.03 years. Eighty-six (69.9%) of the patients were in CKD Stage 5, 15 (12.2%) were in CKD Stage 4, 19 (15.5%) were in CKD Stage 3, 2 (1.6%) in CKD Stage 2, and the remaining one (0.8%) in CKD Stage 1. Regarding the form of nephrological interventions offered, majority of the respondents, i.e. 66 (53.66%) were on maintenance dialysis, followed by 53 (43.09%) on conservative care, while 4 (3.25%) were on renal graft transplant. Among these CKD patients, the prevalence of renal replacement therapy was 56.91%. Most proportion of the respondents 45 (36.59%), were having two number of comorbidities with hypertension 103 (83.70%), diabetes mellitus 39 (31.70%), obesity 24 (19.51%), heart failure 11 (8.90%), obstructive uropathy 8 (6.50%), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection 7 (5.70%), and stroke 5 (4.10%) being the most frequent. Conclusion: The prevalence rates for renal replacement therapy, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity were significantly high among these CKD patients. In this study, the high rate of renal replacement therapy, respective clinical staging, and pattern of associated specific comorbidities/complications among these CKD patients may significantly increase the risk of morbidity, mortality, recurrent frequency of hospitalization, length of hospital admission, and health-care costs.