Survival In Dialysis Patients Research Articles

Hémodialyse à domicile : analyse des situations cliniques et perspectives dans la pratique quotidienne: Home hemodialysis: analysis of clinical contexts and perspectives in daily practice

Home hemodialysis (HHD) is closely associated with the development of in-center hemodialysis (HD), being introduced gradually as the survival of dialysis patients increased with the progress of technology and scientific research. It peaked fifty years ago and then gradually declined. Nowadays there is a revival of HHD highlighting the clinical and quality of life benefits attributed to it. The practice is already solid in several countries internationally and in France the trend is growing up. However, in-center HD remains largely majority and several obstacles to the development of HHD are reported. In this article we address in particular the complex clinical context (heart failure, central venous catheter) of situations that may arise in daily practice that may call into question a HHD project. © 2022 Société francophone de néphrologie, dialyse et transplantation. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Low Free Triiodothyronine as a More Sensitive Predictor of Survival Than Total Testosterone among Dialysis Men.

Some endocrine disorders, previously considered benign, may be related to a poorer prognosis for patients with renal failure. Both low serum free triiodothyronine (fT3) and low total testosterone (TT) concentrations have been considered as predictors of death in dialysis patients, but the results of studies are inconsistent. In our study, we evaluated the relationships of the serum thyroid hormone levels and the total testosterone levels with survival in male dialysis patients. Forty-eight male dialysis patients, 31 on hemodialysis (HD) and 17 on peritoneal dialysis (PD), aged 61.4 ± 10.0, 59.2 ± 12.2 years, respectively, were included in the study. Serum thyroid hormones and total testosterone were measured. During the 12-month follow-up, nine all-cause deaths were recorded. The concentrations of fT3 were significantly lower in those who died than in the survivors (p = 0.001). We did not observe any statistically considerable differences between the group of men who died and the rest of the participants in terms of the total serum testosterone concentration (p = 0.350). Total testosterone positively correlated with fT3 (r = 0.463, p = 0.009) in the HD group. In the group of male dialysis patients, the serum concentration of fT3 had a better prognostic value in terms of survival than the total testosterone. A linear relationship between the fT3 levels and testosterone levels in men undergoing hemodialysis may confirm the hypothesis that some of the hormonal changes observed in chronic kidney disease (CKD) may have a common cause.

TransCarotid Artery Revascularization Can Be Safely Performed in Patients Undergoing Dialysis

TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR) has been effectively performed to prevent stroke in patients with carotid artery stenosis (CS). Prior studies established that TCAR can be safely performed in high-risk patients such as octogenarians, patients with prior carotid endarterectomy (CEA), contralateral occlusion, and heavily calcified lesions. Hemodialysis patients are at an increased risk of exhibiting cardiovascular complications. This study aims to investigate how dialysis may affect TCAR outcomes. The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) dataset was queried for patients undergoing TCAR from November 2016 to November 2021. Patients were divided into dialysis and nondialysis groups. The primary outcome was the composite endpoint of in-hospital stroke, death, or myocardial infarction (MI). Secondary outcomes were in-hospital stroke, stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA), death, prolonged length of stay (more than 1day) (PLOS), MI, and stroke or death. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess in-hospital outcomes. Kaplan-Meier survival and log-rank test were used to assess 1-year survival. A total of 22,619 patients underwent TCAR during the study period. Of these, 327 patients were undergoing dialysis. On univariable analysis, dialysis patients were associated with a higher risk of mortality compared to nondialysis patients (1.2% vs. 0.6%, P=0.030). However, after adjusting for potential confounders, this difference did not persist (odd ratio [OR]: 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] (0.8-4.9), P=0.136). Dialysis patients were more likely to experience PLOS (OR: 1.6, 95% CI (1.2-2), P<0.001). There was no difference between dialysis and nondialysis patients in the risk of stroke or death, stroke, stroke or TIA, MI, and stroke or death, or MI on univariable and multivariable analyses. At 1year, the overall survival for dialysis versus nondialysis patients was 81.5% vs. 95.5%, P<0.001. To our knowledge, this is the first study to date of dialysis patients who have undergone TCAR. We have shown that there was no difference in the risk of stroke, death, and MI between dialysis and nondialysis patients. Therefore, TCAR can be safely offered to patients undergoing dialysis. Future studies with larger number of patients are warranted to confirm these results.

PS-C03-4: THE REAL WORLD TRENDS IN BLOOD PRESSURE OF DIALYSIS PATIENTS IN JAPAN USING THE WEB-BASED DATABASE

Objective: Hypertension is common in dialysis patients, which is frequent as well as poorly controlled. Blood pressure (BP) has a J curve relationship with cardiovascular disease and survival in dialysis patients; however, optimal BP is not well defined. We wanted to learn about the clinical characteristics of Japanese patients undergoing dialysis and the prevalence of cardiovascular death based on systolic blood pressure (SBP) using the Web based Analysis of Dialysis Data Archives (WADDA) system database. Design and Methods: We enrolled the patients undergoing dialysis who were recorded pre dialysis SBP from 2012 to 2020 using WADDA system 2.1. According to the Japanese Society of Hypertension guidelines 2019 (JSH 2019), we classified SBP and evaluated their trends over time by gender and age. Moreover, we evaluated the association between SBP and cardiovascular death. Results: Using the 2020 database, we looked at 336,759 Japanese patients undergoing dialysis (222,510 men and 114,249 women). The mean age was 69.4 ± 12.5 years, the mean dialysis history was 7.4 ± 7.7 years, and the mean pre dialysis SBP was 152.3 ± 24.7 mmHg. Among these patients, 72% had hypertension, 56.4% had diabetes, 28.9% had ischemic heart disease, and 25.4% had cerebrovascular disease. From 2012 to 2020, there was no change in the percentage of hypertension in each age group. The rate of grade II and III hypertension was predominantly male in the younger population (the twenties to fifties), but it shifted to females in the older population (over sixties). This gender disparity was more pronounced in the grade III hypertension group. Patients with cerebrovascular death had higher rates of hypertension (60.7 percent [gradeI; 26.2%, gradeII; 17.3%, gradeIII; 17.3%]) than those with heart failure death (32.9 percent [gradeI; 18.3%, gradeII; 8.4%, gradeIII; 6.2%]). Conclusion: Using the WADDA system, we summarized recent trends in BP of Japanese dialysis patients. We discovered that the rate of hypertension in patients undergoing dialysis has remained high (around 70%) and has not changed over the last decade. Furthermore, we discovered higher rates of hypertension, particularly in younger males, implying that optimal BP management for these populations may reduce cerebrovascular mortality.

Impact of Weight Gain on the Subsequent Survival of New Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Introduction: Obesity at the initiation of dialysis was reported to adversely affect the clinical outcome of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, and weight gain is common after started on PD. However, there are few studies on the prognostic implications of weight gain after PD. Methods: We reviewed the change in body weight of 954 consecutive patients during the first 2 years of PD in a single Hong Kong center. Their subsequent clinical outcomes, including patient and technique survival rates, hospitalization, and peritonitis rates, were analyzed. Results: The mean age was 60.3 ± 12.2 years; 535 patients (56.1%) were men, and 504 (52.8%) had diabetes. From 1995–1999 to 2015–2019, the percentage of body weight gain during the first 2 years of PD was 1.0 ± 7.9%, 1.6 ± 7.1%, 1.6 ± 7.2%, 3.9 ± 9.5%, and 4.0 ± 10.3% for each 5-year period, respectively (p for linearity <0.0001). The subsequent 5-year patient survival rates were 29.9%, 43.3%, 40.5%, 43.6%, and 43.3% for patients with weight loss >5%, weight loss 2–5%, weight change with ±2%, weight gain 2–5%, and weight gain >5% during the first 2 years on PD, respectively (log-rank test, p = 0.035). With multivariable Cox regression model to adjust for clinical confounders, weight loss >5% during the first 2 years of PD was associated with a worse patient survival rate subsequently (adjusted hazard ratio 4.118, 95% confidence interval 1.040–16.313, p = 0.044), while weight gain was not associated with subsequent patient survival. Weight change during the first 2 years of PD does not appear to affect subsequent technique survival, hospitalization, decline in residual renal function, or peritonitis rate. Discussion and Conclusions: Weight gain is common during the first 2 years of PD, but weight gain does not appear to have any significant impact on the subsequent outcome. In contrast, weight loss >5% was significantly associated with worse patient survival subsequently.

Polypharmacy Predicts Onset and Transition of Frailty, Malnutrition, and Adverse Outcomes in Peritoneal Dialysis Patient.

Polypharmacy, frailty and malnutrition are known predictors of adverse outcomes in dialysis patients. Little has reported about their interaction and composite prognostic values. We aimed to describe the interaction between polypharmacy, frailty, nutrition, hospitalization, and survival in peritoneal dialysis patients. In this prospective cohort study, we recruited 573 peritoneal dialysis patients. Drug burden was measured by medication number and daily pill load. Frailty and nutrition were assessed by the validated Frailty Score (FQ) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) respectively. All patients were followed for two years. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were fall and fracture episodes, hospitalization, change in FQ and SGA. At baseline, each patient took 7.5 ± 2.6 medications with 15.5 ± 8.5 tablets per day. Medication number, but not daily pill load predicted baseline FQ (p = 0.004) and SGA (p = 0.03). Over 2 years, there were 69 fall and 1,606 hospitalization episodes. In addition, 148 (25.8%) patients died, while FQ and SGA changed by 0.73 ± 4.23 and -0.07 ± 1.06 respectively in survivors. Medication number (hospitalization: p = 0.02, survival: p = 0.005), FQ (hospitalization: p < 0.001; survival: p = 0.01) predicted hospitalization and survival. Medication number also predicted fall episodes (p = 0.02) and frailty progression (p = 0.002). Daily pill load did not predict any of these outcomes. Drug burden is high in peritoneal dialysis patients, and it carries important prognostic implication. Medication number but not pill load significantly predicted onset and progression of frailty, malnutrition, fall, hospitalization, and mortality.

Mesenteric Ischemia After Cardiac Surgery in Dialysis Patients: An Overlooked Risk Factor.

No study has examined the association of the calcification of abdominal artery orifices with nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) in dialysis patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Thus, this study aimed to determine whether calcification of abdominal blood vessel orifices in hemodialysis patients may be a risk factor for NOMI and examine the long-term survival of dialysis patients after undergoing cardiac surgery. From April 2014 to September 2020, 100 dialysis patients underwent cardiac surgery at our hospital. The calcification of the celiac artery (CA) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was evaluated by computed tomography, and the degree of orifice stenosis was graded as follows: patent, 0; partial occlusion, 1; and complete occlusion, 2. Eight patients experienced NOMI, and all of them died. SMA calcification scores were not significantly different between the NOMI and non-NOMI groups (1.38±0.52 vs. 1.13±0.69; P = 0.247). However, the average CA orifice calcification score was significantly greater in the NOMI group than in the non-NOMI group (1.63±0.52 vs. 1.15±0.65; P = 0.039), and the SMA+CA orifice calcification scores were significantly different between the groups (3.00±0.76 vs. [non-NOMI] 2.25±1.18; P = 0.028). In all patients, the 30-day and in-hospital mortality rates were 13% and 18%, respectively. All patients were completely followed up with a mean follow-up period of 604±585 days. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients with SMA and CA calcification tended to have a shorter overall survival than patients without calcification; however, no significant difference was noted. The calcification of CA and/or SMA orifices was associated with postoperative NOMI and poor long-term survival among dialysis patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Testosterone Deficiency and Nutritional Parameters as Predictors of All-Cause Mortality among Male Dialysis Patients.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with an accelerated risk of cardiovascular mortality. Hormonal and metabolic disorders in CKD may constitute novel risk factors. Our objective was to characterize and evaluate prognostic implications of circulating sex steroids and selected nutritional parameters in patients at different stages of CKD. Studied groups were composed of 78 men: 31 on hemodialysis (HD), 17 on peritoneal dialysis (PD), 30 with CKD stage G3-G4. Total testosterone (TT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S), androstenedione, luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), and biochemical parameters were measured; Free testosterone (FT) was calculated. The lowest TT and FT were observed in HD, the highest- in CKD (p = 0.006 for TT, p = 0.005 for FT). TT positively correlated with total cholesterol in HD (p = 0.012), FT negatively correlated with BMI in CKD (p = 0.023). During the 12 months, 9 patients died (5 in the HD, 4 in the PD group). The deceased group had significantly lower concentrations of albumin (p = 0.006) and prealbumin (p = 0.001), and a significantly higher concentration of androstenedione (p = 0.019) than the surviving group. In the group of men on dialysis, a serum TT concentration &lt;2.55 ng/mL (Q1-first quartile) was associated with a 3.7-fold higher risk of death, although statistical significance was not achieved (p = 0.198). After analysis of the ROC curves, the FT level was the best prognostic marker in HD (AUC = 0.788; 95% CI: 0.581-0.996; p = 0.006) Conclusions: Total and free testosterone levels were lower in the HD group than in the CKD group. The nutritional status undoubtedly affects the survival of dialysis patients but also the concentrations of testosterone significantly contributes to further worsening the prognosis.

Adipose and serum zinc alpha-2-glycoprotein (ZAG) expressions predict longitudinal change of adiposity, wasting and predict survival in dialysis patients

There were limited data on adipose and serum zinc alpha-2-glycoprotein (ZAG) expression and its association with body composition in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to quantify adipose and serum ZAG expression and evaluate their association with body composition and its longitudinal change, together with mortality in incident dialysis patients. We performed a single-center prospective cohort study. Patients who were planned for peritoneal dialysis were recruited. ZAG levels were measured from serum sample, subcutaneous and pre-peritoneal fat tissue obtained during peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion. Body composition and functional state were evaluated by bioimpedance spectroscopy and Clinical Frailty Scale respectively at baseline and were repeated 1 year later. Primary outcome was 2-year survival. Secondary outcomes were longitudinal changes of body composition. At baseline, the average adipose and serum ZAG expression was 13.4 ± 130.0-fold and 74.7 ± 20.9 µg/ml respectively. Both adipose and serum ZAG expressions independently predicted adipose tissue mass (ATM) (p = 0.001, p = 0.008, respectively). At 1 year, ATM increased by 3.3 ± 7.4 kg (p < 0.001) while lean tissue mass (LTM) remained similar (p = 0.5). Adipose but not serum ZAG level predicted change in ATM (p = 0.007) and LTM (p = 0.01). Serum ZAG level predicted overall survival (p = 0.005) and risk of infection-related death (p = 0.045) after adjusting for confounders. In conclusion, adipose and serum ZAG levels negatively correlated with adiposity and predicted its longitudinal change of fat and lean tissue mass, whilst serum ZAG predicted survival independent of body mass in advanced CKD patient.

The importance of physical performance in the assessment of patients on haemodialysis: A survival analysis.

Physical performance is an important determinant of quality of life in patients on haemodialysis. An association between physical performance and survival could further enhance the importance of physical performance. We aimed to assess the association between different measures of physical performance and survival in dialysis patients. 117 patients on haemodialysis were included from December 2016 and followed up to September 2020. Muscle strength (quadriceps, handgrip strength, and sit-to-stand), exercise capacity (six-minute walking test, 6MWT) and the risk of falls (Dialysis Fall Index, Tinetti, and Frailty and Injuries: Cooperative Studies of Intervention Techniques) were measured at the time of inclusion. Hospitalisation, morbidity (Davies Stoke index) and death were recorded. Data were analysed by least squares linear regression models and competing risks survival hazard models. During the observation period (median 33, min 30 max 45 months), 45 patients died (= 38.5%), resulting in a mortality rate of 15% per year. Cardiovascular disease (42.9%) was the most common cause of death. All domains of physical performance were associated with mortality, with the highest hazards for an increased risk of falls (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 20.4, p = 0.003) and poor exercise capacity (HR = 7.4, p<0.001). A score lower than 298 meters (specificity = 0.583; sensitivity = 0.889) on the 6MWT was established as a haemodialysis-specific cut-off point for mortality risk. Each increase in 6MWT (m) corresponded with a 0.4% decrease in mortality risk (HR = 0.996, 95%CI [0.994; 0.998]). The 6MWT as also associated with comorbidity (F-value = 6.1, p = 0.015). Physical performance was not associated with hospitalisation. The 6MWT is associated with mortality in patients on haemodialysis and can be considered as a valid assessment tool to identify high-risk patients.

COVID-19 Pandemic in Dialysis Patients: The Swiss Experience.

BackgroundChronic dialysis patients are classified as patients with increased risk for COVID-19. Knowledge about the incidence and survival of chronic dialysis patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Switzerland - a high-income country with high density of relatively small dialysis centers - is scarce. We present the findings regarding incidence, survival and regional differences, compared to those of the general population in Switzerland.MethodsInformation on chronic dialysis patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between February 24, 2020 and February 28, 2022 were reported to the Swiss dialysis registry by all 94 Swiss dialysis centers. Hereafter, these results were linked with clinical characteristics from the Swiss dialysis registry.ResultsThroughout the study period 1,120 out of ~4,700 dialysis patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Switzerland: 96 cases occurred in the first wave, 472 in the second wave and 5 in between. During the first wave, Italian-speaking Ticino was most severely affected, with a 7-fold higher incidence of dialysis patients compared to the general Swiss population. In the second wave, the majority of cases were found in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, with a 2.5 times higher incidence vs. non-dialysis patients. A total of 123 deaths were recorded in the first two waves, of which COVID-19 was the main cause of death in 100 patients. This corresponds to a highly increased overall mortality rate of 17.5% compared to 1.7% in the general population. Age was identified as the only risk factor for mortality in dialysis patients. During the third, fourth and fifth wave, 61, 43 and 443 cases, respectively, were recorded, resulting in 6 (mortality rate 9.8%), 1 (mortality rate 2.3%) and 13 deaths (mortality rate 2.9%).ConclusionChronic dialysis patients in Switzerland were more likely to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 during the first and second wave than the rest of the population, but an inverse trend was observed during the third, fourth and fifth wave, probably thanks to vaccination. In addition, mortality is significantly increased compared to non-dialysis patients. In Swiss dialysis patients, age is the strongest risk factor for death.

MO832: Survival of Dialysis Patients With Cardiovascular Comorbidity

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Kidney disease is associated with a huge economic burden. High-income countries spend up to 2%–3% of their annual health care budget on end-stage kidney disease. Even if &amp;lt;0.03% of the total population receive such treatment. In 2010, 2.62 million people worldwide received dialysis, and the demand for dialysis is projected to double by 2030. The most common cause of death in patients with CKD is complications from cardiovascular disease. They are the main factor determining the decrease in the effectiveness of renal replacement therapy, especially among young and middle-aged people. Mortality from cardiovascular disease in people with end-stage CKD is 10–30 times higher than in the general population. Purpose of the work: to comparatively study the survival rates in dialysis patients, depending on the presence of cardiovascular diseases. METHOD In our study, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 210 patients (117 men and 93 women) in three different dialysis centers in Uzbekistan. The study lasted 36 months (from January 2018 to December 2020). The average age was 49.2 ± 13.8 years. The main primary diseases were glomerulonephritis (44%), diabetes mellitus (29%) and urolithiasis (7%). The duration of hemodialysis at the time of enrollment of patients in the study ranged from 6 to 172 months. Among the examined dialysis patients, 53% (n = 112) of patients (62 men and 50 women) had CVD and 47% (n = 98) of patients (52 men and 46 women) had no CVD. The main CVDs were arterial hypertension, ischemic heart disease, heart failure and various arrhythmias. Survival was determined by the Kaplan–Meier method. The [95% confidence interval (95% CI)] was determined using the Greenwood method. RESULTS After 36 months of follow-up, 43.8% (n = 92) of all patients died, 56.2% (n = 118) of patients survived (17 of them underwent kidney transplantation). When analyzing the causes of mortality, the main causes of death in dialysis patients were sudden cardiac death, acute respiratory failure, acute cerebrovascular accident, coma and acute bleeding. In dialysis patients with CVD, sudden cardiac death was 67% (n = 42) of all causes of death, while in patients without CVD, it was 57% (n = 17). The average age of the deceased (54.2 ± 1.4) was significantly higher than in patients continuing to receive HD (44.3 ± 1.1). The average duration of hemodialysis in the survivors (34.1 ± 4.7) was higher than in the deceased (27.6 ± 2.8). Upon further analysis of these patients, it was found that among the deceased patients, 70.6% (n = 65) of the patients were patients with cardiovascular diseases, and among the survivors, 54.3% (n = 64) had no cardiovascular diseases. Among those continuing to receive dialysis, there were 32.6% more patients without CVD than among patients with diagnosed CVD. In dialysis patients with CVD who died within 36 months of prospective follow-up, there were 38.7% more deaths than in patients without CVD. The survival rate of patients with CVD was 0.44 (95% CI 0.33–0.51), and in patients without CVD it was 0.65 (95% CI 0.52–0.74). CONCLUSION Our scientific research has shown that &amp;gt;70% of dialysis patients with CKD die due to cardiovascular disease. The main place in the structure of mortality is taken by sudden cardiac death, which is the cause of death in 67% of deceased patients. Cardiovascular comorbidity adversely affects the survival of dialysis patients in Uzbekistan. In dialysis patients without cardiovascular disease in our country, the survival rate is &amp;gt;30% higher than in patients with CVD.

Effect of aspirin in preventing thrombosis of tunneled dialysis catheters and increasing catheter survival in dialysis patients; controlled clinical trial study

Introduction: Central catheters that are inserted for dialysis, often fail due to clots in the lumen or veins with a 63% prevalence. Recent studies have shown that aspirin not only acts as an antiplatelet, but also causes diminishing oxidative stress and inflammation. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of aspirin in preventing thrombosis in tunneled dialysis catheters in the internal jugular vein and increasing catheter survival in dialysis patients. Patients and Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 114 dialysis patients who were divided randomly into two matched groups in terms of age and gender. One group was treated with 80 mg daily aspirin regimen while other group was treated with placebo. Additionally necessary information such as age, gender, cause of renal failure, concomitant diseases like diabetes and hypertension, history of cardiovascular disease and stroke, peripheral vascular diseases, history of statin use and history of anti-thrombotic drugs were obtained of patients by checklists. Results: The incidence of venous thrombosis in the aspirin group was 3.5% and in the control group was 14%. The difference was statistically significant (P=0.001). Conclusion: Results showed that administration of aspirin can be effective in increasing catheter survival in dialysis patients and preventing thrombosis of catheters especially in diabetics and male patients. Trial Registration: The trial was approved by the Iranian registry of clinical trials (identifier: IRCT20181128041785N1; https://www.irct.ir/trial/35610, ethical code; IR.ARUMS.REC.1397.190).

Stage at Diagnosis and Prognosis of Colorectal, Stomach, Lung, Liver, Kidney, and Bladder Cancers in Dialysis Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Study Using Cancer Registry Data and Administrative Data

Background: Cancer is an important comorbidity that can affect survival in dialysis patients. However, it is unclear if dialysis patients who develop cancer are disadvantaged by later detection and poorer prognosis. This study comparatively examined the stage at diagnosis and prognosis of several common cancer types in dialysis and nondialysis patients. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, cancer registry data were linked with administrative data to identify dialysis and nondialysis patients with any new diagnosis of cancer between 2010 and 2015 at 36 hospitals in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. In these patients, we identified the cancer stage at diagnosis for patients with colorectal, stomach, lung, liver, kidney, and bladder cancers. The association between dialysis and survival time (up to 3 years of follow-up) was examined for each cancer type using Cox proportional hazards models that adjusted for age, sex, and cancer stage. Results: We analyzed 2,161 dialysis patients and 158,964 nondialysis patients with cancer. Dialysis patients had a higher prevalence of colorectal, liver, and kidney cancers than nondialysis patients. Colorectal, stomach, lung, liver, and kidney cancers were diagnosed earlier in dialysis patients, whereas bladder cancer was diagnosed at an advanced stage. The Cox proportional hazards models revealed that mortality was significantly higher in dialysis patients with colorectal, stomach, lung, and bladder cancers than in nondialysis patients (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Dialysis patients had higher mortality for several common cancers despite their earlier detection. This poorer prognosis may be influenced by the unavailability and complications of cancer treatment for these patients.

Durability of Bioprosthetic Valves in Patients on Dialysis.

This study focused on clarifying the durability of bioprosthetic valves in current practice. A total of 238 consecutive patients who underwent aortic valve replacement at a single institution from 2011 to 2020 were reviewed. We evaluated valve-related outcomes such as structural valve deterioration (SVD), especially in dialysis patients who received bioprosthetic valve. Among the tissue valves implanted in 212 patients, 5 SVDs were recorded and 3 valves were replaced. All early valve failures occurred in relatively young dialysis patients and were recorded 3 to 5 years after the initial operation. Freedom from SVD at 6 years was 49.9% in patients on dialysis, compared with 100% in non-dialysis patients. Predictors of better survival in dialysis patients were better preoperative functional class and larger prosthetic valve size. The durability of bioprosthetic valves in the aortic position was suboptimal in dialysis patients. Mechanical valves can be an option for young, healthy dialysis patients with a large aortic valve annulus.

Calciphylaxis After Aortic Valve Replacement in a Patient with End-Stage Renal Disease.

In this study, we report a case of a patient on dialysis who presented necrotic lesions on the legs and penile ulceration 7 years after a mechanical aortic valve replacement. The diagnosis of calciphylaxis was not confirmed even after skin biopsy, and multidisciplinary management was not initiated until the patient was admitted with septic shock. Cardiovascular surgeons should be aware of warfarin-induced calciphylaxis, whose pathophysiology differs from that of atherosclerosis. Considering poor long-term survival of dialysis patients, mechanical valves should be reserved only for those patients whose estimated survival is longer than the time taken for a biological valve to deteriorate.

Why and how high volume hemodiafiltration may reduce cardiovascular mortality in stage 5 chronic kidney disease dialysis patients? A comprehensive literature review on mechanisms involved.

Online hemodiafiltration (HDF) is an established renal replacement modality for patients with end stage chronic kidney disease that is now gaining rapid clinical acceptance worldwide. Currently, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that treatment with HDF is associated with better outcomes and reduced cardiovascular mortality for dialysis patients. In this comprehensive review, we provide an update on the potential mechanisms which may improve survival in HDF treated patients. The strongest evidence is for better hemodynamic stability and reduced endothelial dysfunction associated with HDF treatments. Clinically, this is marked by a reduced incidence of intradialytic hypotensive episodes, with a better hemodynamic response to ultrafiltration, mediated by an increase in total peripheral vascular resistance and extra-vascular fluid recruitment, most likely driven by the negative thermal balance associated with online HDF therapy. In addition, endothelial function appears to be improved due to a combination of a reduction of the inflammatory and oxidative stress complex syndrome and exposure to circulating cardiovascular uremic toxins. Reports of reversed cardiovascular remodeling effects with HDF may be confounded by volume and blood pressure management, which are strongly linked to center clinical practices. Currently, treatment with HDF appears to improve the survival of dialysis patients predominantly due to a reduction in their cardiovascular burden, and this reduction is linked to the sessional convection volume exchanged.

Survival and predictive factors in dialysis patients with COVID-19 in Japan: a nationwide cohort study

BackgroundThe Japanese Association of Dialysis Physicians, the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy, and the Japanese Society of Nephrology jointly established COVID-19 Task Force Committee and began surveying the number of newly infected patients.MethodsThis registry of the COVID-19 Task Force Committee was used to collect data of dialysis patients; a total of 1010 dialysis patients with COVID-19 were included in the analysis. Overall survival of patients was investigated with stratification by age group, complication status, and treatment. In addition, predictive factors for mortality were also investigated. The overall survival was estimated by Kaplan–Meier methods and compared by using log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify the risk factor of mortality. For all statistical analyses, p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.ResultsThe mortality risk was increased with age (p < 0.001). The mortality risk was significantly higher in patients with peripheral arterial disease (HR: 1.49, 95% CI 1.05–2.10) and significantly lower in patients who were treated with remdesivir (HR: 0.60, 95% CI 0.37–0.98). Multivariate analysis showed increased risk of mortality with increment in BMI, and increment in CRP, and decreased risk with increment in albumin.ConclusionDialysis patients have a high severity of illness and a high risk of mortality in cases of COVID-19. Treatment with remdesivir might be effective in shortening the duration of hospitalization and reducing the risk of mortality.

Effect of anti-diabetic drugs in dialysis patients with diabetes: a nationwide retrospective cohort study

BackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus is common in patients undergoing dialysis. However, the association between anti-diabetic drug use and survival outcomes is rarely discussed. We aimed to investigate whether continued anti-diabetic medication use affects the survival of diabetic dialysis patients and whether different hypoglycemic drug use influences prognosis.MethodsUsing a nationwide database, we enrolled patients with incident end-stage renal disease under maintenance dialysis during 2011–2015 into the pre-existing diabetes dialysis (PDD), incident diabetes after dialysis (IDD), and non-diabetic dialysis (NDD) groups. The PDD group was further subclassified into patients who continued (PDD-M) and discontinued (PDD-NM) anti-diabetic drug use after dialysis.ResultsA total of 5249 dialysis patients were examined. The PDD-NM group displayed a significantly higher mortality rate than the IDD, PDD-M, and NDD groups (log-rank test P < 0.001). The PDD-M group had a significantly lower risk of death, regardless of insulin (P < 0.001) or oral hypoglycemic agent (OHA) (P < 0.001) use. Initial insulin administration or OHA had no statistically significant effect on overall mortality in the IDD group. But OHA use had better survival trends than insulin administration for the older (P = 0.02) and male subgroups (P = 0.05).ConclusionsFor dialysis patients with diabetes, continuous administration of anti-diabetic drugs after dialysis and choice of medication may affect outcomes.

Predictive value of the conditions for the optimal dialysis initiation (Meta-analysis of observational studies)

BACKGROUND. The survival of dialysis patients remains unsatisfactory. A number of observational studies have shown that the conditions of initiation of dialysis can influence long-term outcomes, including mortality.THE AIM. To compare the mortality of patients under predefined conditions of optimal (planned) and suboptimal (unplanned) dialysis initiation.METHODS. Using the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from inception to June 2020, we conducted a systematic search for studies that examined the overall mortality of patients who met or did not meet the predefined conditions for an “optimal” start of renal replacement therapy (RRT): planned vs. unplanned onset; initiation of substitution therapy on permanent access vs. temporary; with priorobservation of the nephrologist vs. without it. As a result of a systematic search, subsequent analysis and selection of publica tions, 8 studies were included in the meta-analysis (total number of incident patients was 22755; 13680 patients met the conditions of the optimal dialysis start).RESULTS. All-cause mortality among patients with the conditions of suboptimal dialysis start was higher than in those with the optimal start (34.4 % vs. 46.6 %, p&lt;0,001) with the increase in the relative risk (RR) of fatal outcome by 35.1 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 30.8 %-39.4 %, p&lt;0.0001). Estimated number of patients needed to start dialysis in the optimal conditions to prevent 1 death was 8 (95 % CI 7-9).CONCLUSION. The meta-analysis demonstrated the relationship between the urgent initiation of RRT, the use of temporary access for dialysis, and the lack of timely prior follow-up by a nephrologist with an increase in mortality. Prevention of dialysis initiation in these suboptimal conditions in real-world clinical practice can be an effective tool for improving patient-centered outcomes.