Risk Factor For All-cause Mortality Research Articles

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score predicts all-cause mortality in Chinese dialysis patients.

The relationship between Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and survival of dialysis patients has not been well studied. The aim of this study was to explore the association between PSQI score and all-cause mortality in dialysis patients. Fifty-one hemodialysis and 58 peritoneal dialysis patients were enrolled in this study. PSQI score > 5 and ≤ 5 indicated "poor sleepers" and "good sleepers", respectively. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were performed. The median PSQI score was 7.0 (4.0-10.0). Sixty-seven (61.5%) patients had poor sleep quality (SQ). Compared with good sleepers, poor sleepers had significantly lower levels of hemoglobin [74.0 (61.0, 85.0) vs. 78.0 (68.0, 97.0), P = 0.03] and serum bicarbonate (18.0 ± 4.5 vs. 20.0 ± 3.7, P = 0.022). The follow-up time was 69.1 ± 29.9months. By multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, PSQI total score was the independent risk factor of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.36, P = 0.007]. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis showed that 7 was the cutoff value at which the effect of PSQI score on mortality changed. Patients with a PSQI score > 7 had a 2.96-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR 2.96, 95% CI 1.15-7.61, P = 0.025). PSQI score can be used as a predictor of all-cause mortality in dialysis patients, and those with PSQI > 7 were associated with increased odds of mortality.

On-admission anemia predicts mortality in COVID-19 patients: A single center, retrospective cohort study.

ObjectivesWe investigated the impact of anemia based on admission hemoglobin (Hb) level as a prognostic risk factor for severe outcomes in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).MethodsA single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted from a random sample of 733 adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) obtained from a total of 4356 laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases who presented to the Emergency Department of Montefiore Medical Center between March–June 2020. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of in-hospital severe outcomes of COVID-19. A secondary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality.ResultsAmong the 733 patients included in our final analysis, 438 patients (59.8%) presented with anemia. 105 patients (14.3%) had mild, and 333 patients (45.5%) had moderate-severe anemia. Overall, 437 patients (59.6%) had a composite endpoint of severe outcomes. On-admission anemia was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality, (Odds Ratio 1.52, 95% CI [1.01–2.30], p = 0.046) but not for composite severe outcomes. However, moderate-severe anemia (Hb < 11 g/dL) on admission was independently associated with both severe outcomes (OR1.53, 95% CI [1.05–2.23], p = 0.028) and mortality (OR 1.67, 95% CI [1.09–2.56], p = 0.019) during hospitalization.ConclusionAnemia on admission was independently associated with increased odds of all-cause mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Furthermore, moderate-severe anemia (Hb <11 g/dL) was an independent risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Moving forward, COVID-19 patient management and risk stratification may benefit from addressing anemia on admission.

The risk factors for early mortality and end-stage renal disease in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated glomerulonephritis: experiences from a single center.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a common disease with high mortality. Kidney involvement in AAV commonly performances as ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis (AAGN). We aimed to identify the risk factors for mortality and end-stage renal disease(ESRD) within 6months since diagnosis in AAGN patients. A total of 350 AAGN patients were enrolled in our center between 2004 and 2017 retrospectively. We analyzed the demographic, clinical and follow-up data. Factors for mortality and ESRD were investigated with univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. The median follow-up time was 60.8 (IQR 31.2, 84.5) months and 40 (11.4%) patients died within the first 6months. In the multivariate analysis, age ≥ 65years (HR = 2.245, 95%CI 1.085-4.645, P = 0.029), high leukocyte counts (HR = 1.089, 95%CI 1.015-1.168, P = 0.018), high Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) (HR = 1.089, 95%CI 1.017-1.165, P = 0.014), infection (HR = 2.023, 95%CI 1.013-4.042, P = 0.046) and low serum albumin (HR = 0.916, 95%CI 0.845-0.992, P = 0.030) were independent risk factors for all-cause mortality in the first 6months. A total of 95 patients reached ESRD within the first 6months. The renal survival rate was 72.9% at 6months. Multivariate analysis showed that high BVAS (HR = 1.198, 95%CI 1.043-1.376, P = 0.011), high daily urine protein (HR = 1.316, 95%CI 1.046-1.656, P = 0.019) and low eGFR (HR = 0.877, 95%CI 0.804-0.957, P = 0.003) were independent risk factors for ESRD. The mortality and ESRD rates were high in the first 6months for AAGN patients. High disease activity evaluated by BVAS impacted both on patients' survival and renal survival, while over 65years of age and infection were risk factors for mortality.

Hyperkalemia and its Association With Mortality, Cardiovascular Events, Hospitalizations, and Intensive Care Unit Admissions in a Population-Based Retrospective Cohort

IntroductionHyperkalemia is a common, potentially life-threatening condition in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We studied the association between hyperkalemia and mortality, cardiovascular events, hospitalizations, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study using administrative databases in Manitoba, Canada. All adults (≥18 years of age) with potassium tests between January 2007 and December 2016 were included, with follow-up until March 31, 2017. Propensity score matching was performed among patients with de novo hyperkalemia (serum potassium ≥ 5.0 mmol/l) and patients who were nonhyperkalemic. The association between hyperkalemia and normokalemia and mortality was assessed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusting for patient characteristics in a 1:1 propensity score–matched sample. Secondary outcomes included cardiovascular events, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions. A sensitivity analysis was performed with hyperkalemia defined as serum potassium ≥ 5.5 mmol/l.ResultsOf 93,667 patients with de novo hyperkalemia, 36% had diabetes mellitus (DM), 28% had CKD, and 21% had heart failure (HF). In the propensity score–matched sample of 177,082 individuals, hyperkalemia was associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.15 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.13–1.18], P < 0.001), cardiovascular events (HR 1.20 [95% CI 1.14–1.26], P < 0.001), short-term mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.29 [95% CI 1.24–1.34], P < 0.001), hospitalizations (OR 1.71 [95% CI 1.68–1.74]), and ICU admissions (OR 3.48 [95% CI 3.34–3.62], P < 0.001). Findings were unchanged when a threshold of serum potassium ≥ 5.5 mmol/l was used.ConclusionHyperkalemia was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions. This finding expands our understanding of important clinical outcomes associated with hyperkalemia.

Clinical outcomes and risk factors for mortality from ventilator-associated events: A registry-based cohort study among 30,830 intensive care unit patients.

To investigate the clinical impact of ventilator-associated events (VAEs) on adverse prognoses and risk factors for mortality among intensive care unit (ICU) patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) based on an ICU healthcare-associated infection (ICU-HAI) registry. A cohort study was conducted based on an ICU-HAI registry including 30,830 patients between 2015 and 2018. The study was conducted using data from 5 adult ICUs of a referral hospital. Adult patients in the ICU-HAI registry who received ≥4 consecutive IMV days. Clinical outcomes and mortality risk factors for VAEs were analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM), multivariate regression models, and sensitivity analyses. Of 6,426 included patients, 1,803 developed 1,899 VAEs. After PSM, patients with VAEs did have prolonged length of stay in the ICU and in the hospital, increased hospitalization costs, longer days on mechanical ventilation, higher proportion of ≥9 days on mechanical ventilation, higher rate of failure in extubating mechanical ventilation, and excess all-cause mortality in the ICU. Older age (adjusted OR [aOR], 1.02), higher APACHE II score on ICU admission (aOR, 1.06), pneumonia (aOR, 1.49), blood transfusion (aOR 1.43), immunosuppressive drugs (aOR, 1.69), central-line catheter (aOR, 2.06), and ≥2 VAEs in the ICU (aOR, 1.99) were associated with higher risks for all-cause mortality in an ICU. Patients with VAEs indeed had poorer clinical outcomes. Older age, higher APACHE II score on ICU admission, pneumonia, blood transfusion, immunosuppressive drugs, central-line catheter, and ≥2 VAEs in the ICU were risk factors for all-cause mortality of VAE patients in the ICU.

Resistin is a risk factor for all-cause mortality in elderly Finnish population: A prospective study in the OPERA cohort.

Resistin is a small, cysteine-rich proinflammatory molecule that is primarily secreted by peripheral blood mononuclear cells and macrophages in humans. Previous studies have shown resistin to participate in various pathological processes including atherosclerosis and cancer progression but not many studies have assessed the role of resistin as a risk factor for all-cause mortality. The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate whether resistin predicts mortality among elderly Finnish people. The study population consisted of 599 elderly (71.7 ± 5.4 years) patients and the follow-up was approximately six years. A thorough clinical examination including anthropometric and other clinical measurements such as blood pressure as well as various laboratory parameters (including resistin) was conducted at baseline. After the follow-up, 65 (11%) of the patients died. Resistin was a significant risk factor for all-cause mortality (HR 3.02, 95% CI: 1.64-5.56, p<0.001) when the highest tertile was compared to the lowest. Resistin remained as a significant risk factor even after adjusting for various covariates such as age, sex, systolic blood pressure, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, medications (antihypertensive, lipid-lowering, glucose-lowering), hsCRP and leisure time physical activity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for resistin demonstrated area under the curve (AUC) of 0.656 (95% CI: 0.577-0.734), p<0.001 and an optimal cutoff value of 12.88 ng/ml. Our results indicate that resistin is a significant risk factor for all-cause mortality among elderly Finnish subjects, independent from traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Abstract P693: Sex Disparity in Long-Term Stroke Recurrence and Mortality in a Rural Population in the United States

Introduction: Several studies suggest women may be disproportionately affected by poorer stroke outcomes than men. This study aimed to investigate if women had a higher risk of all-cause mortality and recurrence after an ischemic stroke in a rural population in central Pennsylvania, United States. Methods: We analyzed consecutive ischemic stroke patients captured in our comprehensive research database from 2004 to 2019. Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimator curves stratified by gender and age were used to plot survival probabilities and Cox Proportional Hazards Ratios were used to analyze outcomes of all-cause mortality and the composite outcome of ischemic stroke recurrence or death. Fine-Gray Competing Risk models were used for the outcome of recurrent ischemic stroke, with death as the competing risk. Two models were generated; Model 1 was adjusted by data-driven associated health factors, and Model 2 was adjusted by traditional vascular risk factors. Results: Among 8,900 adult ischemic stroke patients (median age of 71.6 [IQR:61.1-81.2] years and 48% women), women had a higher crude all-cause mortality. The KM curves demonstrated a 63.3% survival in women compared to a 65.7% survival in men (p=0.003) at five years; however, the survival difference was not present after adjustment by the associated factors of age, atrial fibrillation or flutter, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, heart failure, chronic lung diseases, rheumatic disease, chronic kidney disease, neoplasm, peripheral vascular disease, past ischemic stroke, past hemorrhagic stroke, and depression. There was no adjusted or unadjusted sex difference in terms of recurrent ischemic stroke or composite outcome. Conclusion: Sex was not an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality and ischemic stroke recurrence in the rural population in central Pennsylvania.

Socioeconomic and Clinical Predictors of Mortality in Patients with Acute Dyspnea.

BackgroundFactors predicting long-term prognosis in patients with acute dyspnea may guide both acute management and follow-up. The aim of this study was to identify socioeconomic and clinical risk factors for all-cause mortality among acute dyspnea patients admitted to an Emergency Department.MethodsWe included 798 patients with acute dyspnea admitted to the ED of Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden from 2013 to 2016. Exposures were living in the immigrant-dense urban part of Malmö (IDUD), country of birth, annual income, comorbidities, smoking habits, medical triage priority and severity of dyspnea. Mean follow-up time was 2.2 years. Exposures were related to risk of all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazard model.ResultsDuring follow-up 40% died. In models adjusted for age and gender, low annual income, previous or ongoing smoking, certain comorbidities, high medical triage priority and severe dyspnea were all significantly associated with increased mortality. After adjusting for age, gender and all significant exposures, the lowest quintile of income, ongoing or previous smoking, history of serious infection, anemia, hip fracture, high medical triage priority and severe dyspnea significantly and independently predicted mortality. In contrast, neither country of birth nor living in IDUD predicted a mortality risk.ConclusionApart from several clinical risk factors, low annual income predicts two-year mortality risk in patients with acute dyspnea. This is not the case for country of birth and living in IDUD. Our results underline the wide range of mortality risk factors in acute dyspnea patients. Knowledge of patients’ annual income as well as certain clinical features may aid risk stratification and determining the need of follow-up both in hospital and after discharge from an ED.

Impact of COPD on COVID-19 prognosis: A nationwide population-based study in South Korea

Underlying chronic respiratory disease may be associated with the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study investigated the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on the risk for respiratory failure and mortality in COVID-19 patients. A nationwide retrospective cohort study was conducted in 4610 patients (≥ 40 years old) infected with COVID-19 between January 20 and May 27, 2020, using data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in Korea. The clinical course and various clinical features were compared between COPD and non-COPD patients, and the risks of respiratory failure and all-cause mortality in COPD patients were analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression model. Among 4610 COVID-19 patients, 4469 (96.9%) and 141 (3.1%) were categorized into the non-COPD and COPD groups, respectively. The COPD group had greater proportions of older (≥ 60 years old) (78.0% vs. 45.2%, P < 0.001) and male (52.5% vs. 36.6%, P < 0.001) patients than the non-COPD group. Relatively greater proportions of patients with COPD received intensive critical care (7.1% vs. 3.7%, P = 0.041) and mechanical ventilation (5.7% vs. 2.4%, P = 0.015). Multivariate analyses showed that COPD was not a risk factor for respiratory failure but was a significant independent risk factor for all-cause mortality (OR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.11–2.93) after adjustment for age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index score. Among COVID-19 patients, relatively greater proportions of patients with COPD received mechanical ventilation and intensive critical care. COPD is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients in Korea.

Effect of multiple comorbidities on mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among Korean population: a nationwide cohort study

BackgroundThe effects of comorbidities on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been usually studied individually in the past. In this study, we aimed to investigate the comorbidities associated with mortality, the effect of multimorbidity on mortality and other factors associated with mortality among Korean COPD population.MethodsThe Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort version 2.0, collected between 2002 and 2015, was used. Among COPD patients [entire cohort (EC), N = 12,779], 44% of the participants underwent additional health examination, and they were analysed separately [health-screening cohort (HSC), N = 5624]. Fifteen comorbidities previously reported as risk factors for mortality were studied using Cox proportional hazards regression models.ResultsTotal mortality rates were 38.6 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 37.32–40.01) and 27.4 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 25.68–29.22) in EC and HSC, respectively. The most common causes of death were disease progression, lung cancer, and pneumonia. Only some of the comorbidities had a direct impact on mortality. Multimorbidity, assessed by the number of comorbid diseases, was an independent risk factor of all-cause mortality in both cohorts and was a risk factor of respiratory mortality only in HSC. The Kaplan–Meier analysis showed significant differences in survival trajectories according to the number of comorbidities in all-cause mortality but not in respiratory mortality. Low BMI, old age and male sex were independent risk factors for both mortalities in both cohorts.ConclusionsThe number of comorbidities might be an independent risk factor of COPD mortality. Multimorbidity contributes to all-cause mortality in COPD, but the effect of multimorbidity is less evident on respiratory mortality.

Changes in serum uric acid and the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in the general population

Background and aimLongitudinal evidence on change in serum (SUA) with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality is limited, as many prior studies focused on baseline SUA. Further, the optimal threshold range of SUA change is unclear. Methods and resultsA total of 63,127 participants without history of CVD were enrolled. Change in SUA was determined by the difference of SUA levels between 2006 and 2010, which divided by baseline SUA was percent change in SUA. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Our analysis also included restricted cubic spline model and three-piecewise Cox proportion hazards model to address the non-linearity between percent change in SUA and outcomes. During a median follow-up of 7.04 years, 3341 CVD and 3238 deaths occurred. We did not observed a significant association between changes in SUA and CVD. However, changes in SUA at extreme were associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality, the HRs (95% CIs) were 1.15 (1.02–1.29) and 1.20 (1.06–1.35) in the first and fifth quintile group, compared with the third quintile group. We further found a U-shaped association between percent change in SUA and all-cause mortality, and the optimal range was within 20%. ConclusionsChanges in SUA at extreme were risk factors for all-cause mortality, but not for CVD in the general population. The findings are relevant for role of SUA in the management of CVD risk and may contribute to improve identification of patients at higher risk.

Extremely Low Serum Alanine Transaminase Level Is Associated with All-Cause Mortality in the Elderly after Intracranial Hemorrhage.

ObjectiveExtremely low alanine transaminase (ALT) levels are associated with all-cause mortality in frail elderly individuals; the clinical significance of ALT as a reliable biomarker is now being considered. Predicting mortality with routine tests at the time of diagnosis is important for managing patients after intracranial hemorrhage. We aimed to investigate whether an extremely low ALT level is associated with mortality in the elderly after intracranial hemorrhage. MethodsA retrospective review was performed on 455 patients with intracranial hemorrhage admitted to a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital from February 2014 to May 2019. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed for all ages and for each age group to determine whether an extremely low ALT level is an independent predictor of mortality only in the elderly. ResultsOverall, 294 patients were enrolled, and the mean age of the subjects was 59.1 years, with 99 (33.8%) aged ≥65 years. The variables associated with all-cause mortality in all subjects were age, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, hemoglobin (Hb) levels (<11 g/dL), and initial Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores. In young patients, CRP, low Hb levels, and initial GCS scores were significantly associated with all-cause mortality. However, in the elderly (≥65 years), the variables significantly associated with allcause mortality were extremely low levels of ALT (<10 U/L) (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.313; 95% confidence interval, 1.232–8.909; p=0.018) and initial GCS scores. ConclusionExtremely low ALT level (<10 U/L) at the time of diagnosis is a significant risk factor for all-cause mortality in the elderly after intracranial hemorrhage.

Clinical Significance of Acute Kidney Injury in Lung Cancer Patients.

PurposeAcute kidney injury (AKI) in cancer patients is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The incidence of AKI in lung cancer seems to be relatively higher compared with other solid organ malignancies, although its impact on patient outcomes remains unclear.Materials and MethodsThe patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer from 2004 to 2013 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The patients were categorized according to the presence and severity of AKI. We compared all-cause mortality and long-term renal outcome according to AKI stage.ResultsA total of 3,202 patients were included in the final analysis. AKI occurred in 1,783 (55.7%) patients during the follow-up period, with the majority having mild AKI stage 1 (75.8%). During the follow-up of 2.6±2.2 years, total 1,251 patients (53.7%) were died and 5-year survival rate was 46.9%. We found that both AKI development and severity were independent risk factors for all-cause mortality in lung cancer patients, even after adjustment for lung cancer-specific variables including the stage or pathological type. In addition, patients suffered from more severe AKI tend to encounter de novo chronic kidney disease development, worsening kidney function, and end-stage kidney disease progression.ConclusionIn this study, more than half of the lung cancer patients experienced AKI during their diagnosis and treatment period. Moreover, AKI occurrence and more advanced AKI were associated with a higher mortality risk and adverse kidney outcomes.

A retrospective study of end-stage kidney disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis with renal osteodystrophy-associated fragility fractures

BackgroundNephropathy associated metabolic disorder induces high incidence of fragility fracture in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. As the risk factors and prognosis of fragility fracture in ESRD patients are unclear, more research is needed. This study aimed to evaluate various risk factors for ESRD-related fragility fractures, explore factors affecting the prognosis of patients with such fractures, and provide information for prevention and treatment of renal osteopathy to improve the prognosis of patients.MethodsIn this retrospective case-control study, the case notes of 521 ESRD patients who received maintenance dialysis for at least 3 months were examined. Finally, 44 patients diagnosed with fragility fractures were assigned to the fragility fracture (FF) group and 192 patients were included in the control group (CG). Demographic information, underlying diseases, nutritional, bone metabolism, and renal function parameters, along with the number and causes of any deaths, were recorded for multiple statistical analysis.ResultsThe FF group had increased incidences of essential hypertension and diabetes mellitus and higher serum calcium, corrected calcium, alkaline phosphatase, and hemoglobin levels. Immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH), total cholesterol (TC), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were higher in the CG. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that fragility fracture was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in ESRD patients (P < .001, RR: 4.877, 95% CI: 2.367–10.013).ConclusionsEssential hypertension and diabetes, high serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase levels, and reduced iPTH levels were risk factors for fragility fracture in ESRD patients. Maintaining iPTH and serum TC levels may protect against fragility fractures in them. Fragility fractures may yield poor prognosis and shorter lifespan. The presence of fragility fracture was an independent predictor of all-cause death in ESRD patients.

Clinical outcome of kidney transplantation after bariatric surgery: A single-center, retrospective cohort study.

Patients with class II and III obesity and end‐stage renal disease are often ineligible for kidney transplantation (KTx) due to increased postoperative complications and technically challenging surgery. Bariatric surgery (BS) can be an effective solution for KTx candidates who are considered inoperable. The aim of this study is to evaluate outcomes of KTx after BS and to compare the outcomes to obese recipients (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2) without BS. This retrospective, single‐center study included patients who received KTx after BS between January 1994 and December 2018. The primary outcome was postoperative complications. The secondary outcomes were graft and patient survival. In total, 156 patients were included, of whom 23 underwent BS prior to KTx. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications. After a median follow‐up of 5.1 years, death‐censored graft survival, uncensored graft survival, and patient survival were similar to controls (log rank test p = .845, .659, and .704, respectively). Dialysis pre‐transplantation (Hazard Ratio (HR) 2.55; 95%CI 1.03–6.34, p = .043) and diabetes (HR 2.41; 95%CI 1.11–5.22, p = .027) were independent risk factors for all‐cause mortality. A kidney from a deceased donor was an independent risk factor for death‐censored graft loss (HR 1.98; 95%CI 1.04–3.79, p = .038). Patients who received a KTx after BS have similar outcomes as obese transplant recipients.

Prevalence, risk factors and impact on outcomes of 30-day unexpected rehospitalization in incident peritoneal dialysis patients

BackgroundRehospitalization is a major problem for end stage renal disease (ESRD) populations. However, researches on 30-day unexpected rehospitalzation of incident peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients were limited. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, risk factors and impact on outcomes of 30-day unexpected rehospitalization in incident PD patients.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study. Patients who accepted PD catheter implantation in our centre from Jan 1, 2006 to Dec 31, 2013 and regular follow-up were included. The demographic characteristics, laboratory parameters, and rehospitalization data were collected and analyzed. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcomes included cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and technical failure.ResultsTotally 1632 patients (46.9 ± 15.3 years old, 60.1% male, 25.6% with diabetes) were included. Among them, 149 (9.1%) had a 30-day unexpected rehospitalization after discharge. PD-related peritonitis (n = 48, 32.2%), catheter malfunction (n = 30, 20.1%) and severe fluid overload (n = 19, 12.8%) were the top three causes for the rehospitalization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that length of index hospital stays [Odds ratio (OR) =1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.03, P = 0.036) and hyponatremia (OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.06–3.24, P = 0.031) were independently associated with the rehospitalization. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that 30-day rehospitalization was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality [Hazard ratio (HR) =1.52, 95% CI 1.07–2.16, P = 0.019) and CVD mortality (HR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.03–2.90, P = 0.038).ConclusionsThe prevalence of 30-day unexpected rehospitalization for incident PD patients in our centre was 9.1%. The top three causes for the rehospitalization were PD-related peritonitis, catheter malfunction and severe fluid overload. Thirty-day unexpected rehospitalization increased the risk of all-cause mortality and CVD mortality for PD patients.

Risk factors for mortality in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim Inconsistent investigations of the risk factors for all-cause mortality in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) were reported. The present meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of some clinical characteristics on the risk of mortality in PD patients. Methods PubMed and Embase were systematically searched for studies evaluating the risk factors for all-cause mortality in PD patients. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were derived using a random-effect or fixed-effect model considering the heterogeneity across studies. Result A total of 26 studies were included in this meta-analysis in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Age, primary cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and high level of alkaline phosphatase showed significant positive associations with elevated risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in PD patients, while hemoglobin acted as a benefit factor. Furthermore, early onset of peritonitis, high peritoneal transport status, elevated body mass index and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein could also considerably increase the risk of all-cause mortality. The absolute serum level of magnesium, potassium, and uric acid required to improve survival in PD patients should be verified further. Conclusions Multiple factors could affect the risk of mortality in PD patients.

Iron, coronary artery calcification, and mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Objective A high coronary artery calcification score (CACS) may be associated with high mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Recently, effects of iron on vascular smooth muscle cell calcification have been described. We aimed to investigate the relationships between iron, CACS, and mortality in HD patients. Methods We studied 173 consecutive patients who were undergoing maintenance HD. Laboratory data and Agatston’s CACS were obtained at baseline for two groups of patients: those with CACS ≥400 (n = 109) and those with CACS <400 (n = 64). Logistic regression analyses for CACS ≥400 and Cox proportional hazard analyses for mortality were conducted. Results The median (interquartile range) age and duration of dialysis of the participants were 67 (60–75) years and 73 (37–138) months, respectively. Serum iron (Fe) and transferrin saturation (TSAT) levels were significantly lower in participants with CACS ≥400 than in those with CACS <400, although the serum ferritin concentration did not differ between the groups. TSAT ≥21% was significantly associated with CACS ≥400 (odds ratio 0.46, p<0.05). TSAT ≥17%, Fe ≥63 µg/dL, and ferritin ≥200 ng/mL appear to protect against 5-year all-cause mortality in HD patients, independent of conventional risk factors of all-cause mortality (p < 0.05). Conclusion We have identified associations between iron, CACS, and mortality in HD patients. Lower TSAT was found to be an independent predictor of CACS ≥400, and iron deficiency (low TSAT, iron, or ferritin) was a significant predictor of 5-year all-cause mortality in HD patients.

Red blood cell distribution width is a predictor of chronic kidney disease progression and all-cause mortality.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of RDW with all-cause mortality and disease progression in patients with CKD in stage 3-4. This longitudinal observational cohort study of patients with CKD was conducted at a single center. We categorized baseline RDW into two groups by its median (14.9 %). The associations between baseline RDW values and all-cause mortality over 56 months were examined in unadjusted and adjusted models. The effect of RDW value on renal outcomes and mortality was evaluated by using Cox regression analysis. A total of 261 patients were enrolled in the study. During an average follow-up of 56 months, 19.8 % of patients died. The area under the ROC curve for RDW for all-cause mortality was 0.746, with sensitivity of 0.74 and specificity of 0.69 for a cut-off point of 14.3 %. The incidence of all-cause mortality in the group with increased RDW was significantly higher than in the normal RDW group (p < 0.001). The Cox proportional hazard model showed that the elevated RDW level was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in patients with CKD in stage 3-4. RDW is a powerful and independent prognostic marker for predicting all-cause mortality and disease progression in stage 3-4 of CKD (Tab. 4, Fig. 4, Ref. 29).

Impact of Arterial Stiffness on All-Cause Mortality in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 in Spain.

Older age and cardiovascular comorbidities are well-known risk factors for all-cause mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hypertension and age are the 2 principal determinants of arterial stiffness (AS). This study aimed to estimate AS in patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization and analyze its association with all-cause in-hospital mortality. This observational, retrospective, multicenter cohort study analyzed 12 170 patients admitted to 150 Spanish centers included in the SEMI-COVID-19 Network. We compared AS, defined as pulse pressure ≥60 mm Hg, and clinical characteristics between survivors and nonsurvivors. Mean age was 67.5 (±16.1) years and 42.5% were women. Overall, 2606 (21.4%) subjects died. Admission systolic blood pressure (BP) <120 and ≥140 mm Hg was a predictor of higher all-cause mortality (23.5% and 22.8%, respectively, P<0.001), compared with systolic BP between 120 and 140 mm Hg (18.6%). The 4379 patients with AS (36.0%) were older and had higher systolic and lower diastolic BP. Multivariate analysis showed that AS and systolic BP <120 mm Hg significantly and independently predicted all-cause in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj]: 1.27, P=0.0001; ORadj: 1.48, P=0.0001, respectively) after adjusting for sex (males, ORadj: 1.6, P=0.0001), age tertiles (second and third tertiles, ORadj: 2.0 and 4.7, P=0.0001), Charlson Comorbidity Index (second and third tertiles, ORadj: 4.8 and 8.6, P=0.0001), heart failure, and previous and in-hospital antihypertensive treatment. Our data show that AS and admission systolic BP <120 mm Hg had independent prognostic value for all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization.