Interventions for Dysphagia following Stroke: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials / 대한연하장애학회지

OBJECTIVE: Dysphagia is a major complication of stroke and causes serious problems, such as lung aspiration. Previous reviews of dysphagia treatments for stroke were limited due to a dearth of available studies. More trials have been published recently warranting a re-examination of the evidence. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of interventions for dysphagia in adults following stroke. METHODS: The PRISMA Statement with a 27-item checklist was used as a general guide to conduct and report a quality systematic review. Five electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials published in English between 2008 and 2017 examining the effectiveness of dysphagia interventions following stroke. The search terms were entered by combining the keywords related to dysphagia, stroke, interventions, and randomized controlled trials. RESULTS: Fifteen articles were included; the most commonly used interventions were Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (4 articles), Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (4 articles), and Pharyngeal electrical stimulation (4 articles). CONCLUSION: This review provides evidence of the effectiveness of interventions for people with dysphagia following stroke, but there were some mixed results. The heterogeneity of the outcome measures as well as the mixed results highlight the need for further research.

Safety and Efficacy of Tolvaptan in Korean Patients with Hyponatremia Caused by the Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone

BACKGROUND: The aim of this multicenter study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tolvaptan (TLV) in Korean patients with the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). METHODS: Of 51 enrolled patients with SIADH, 39 patients (16 female patients, aged 70.8 ± 11.3 years) were included in an intention to treat analysis. All patients received 15 mg/day as the initial dose, and the dose was then increased up to 60 mg/day (as needed) until day 4. RESULTS: Serum sodium increased significantly from baseline during the first 24 hours (126.8 ± 4.3 vs. 133.7 ± 3.8 mmol/L, P < 0.001), rose gradually between days 1 and 4 (133.7 ± 3.8 vs. 135.6 ± 3.6 mmol/L, P < 0.05), and then plateaued until day 11 (136.7 ± 4.5 mmol/L). The correlation between the change in serum sodium for the first 24 hours and initial serum sodium concentration was significant (r = −0.602, P < 0.001). In severe hyponatremia (< 125 mmol/L), the change was significantly higher (11.1 ± 4.8 mmol/L) than in moderate (6.4 ± 2.5 mmol/L, P < 0.05) or mild hyponatremia (4.3 ± 3.3 mmol/L, P < 0.01). In addition, logistic regression analysis showed that body weight (odds ratio [OR], 0.858; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.775–0.976; P = 0.020) and body mass index (BMI) (OR, 0.692; 95% CI, 0.500–0.956; P = 0.026) were associated with rapid correction. No serious adverse events were reported, but in 13% of patients hyponatremia was overcorrected. CONCLUSION: TLV is effective in correcting hyponatremia and well-tolerated in Korean patients with SIADH. However, those with low body weight, low BMI or severe hyponatremia, could be vulnerable to overcorrection with the initial dose of 15 mg TLV.

Association of Serotonin 1A Receptor Polymorphism with Variation in Health-Related Quality of Life in Korean Hemodialysis Patients

OBJECTIVE: Hemodialysis patients may have psychological distress and reduced quality of life (QoL) related to chronic physical health problems. Genetic polymorphisms associated with reduced QoL in hemodialysis patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and variation in health-related QoL in Korean hemodialysis patients. METHODS: The 36-item Short-Form Health Survey and the Korean Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used to assess health-related QoL and psychological distress, respectively. Twenty hundred and five clinically stable patients from 6 hemodialysis centers have participated with informed consents. Sociodemographic factors, clinical factors, and genotypes of serotonin 1A receptor, brain-derived neurotrophic factors, and glucocorticoid receptor were assessed. Independent t-tests, correlation analyses, multiple regression analyses were performed for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The serotonin 1A receptor CC genotype group showed significantly higher physical and mental QoL levels than those with the GG/GC genotypes. In the final linear regression analysis, serotonin 1A receptor CC genotype was significantly associated with positive physical and mental QoL levels. CONCLUSION: ConclusionaaSerotonin 1A receptor polymorphism, as well as age and depression, were significantly associated with mental and physical QoL in hemodialysis patients. Functional activity in the serotonin receptor system may have a modulating effect on health-related QoL in hemodialysis patients.

High Water Intake and Progression of Chronic Kidney Diseases

Impact of water intake on the courses of chronic kidney and urinary tract diseases, such as urolithiasis, urinary tract infections, chronic kidney diseases (CKD), autosomal dominant polycystic kidney diseases and bladder cancer, has recently been studied. It still remains controversial whether increased water intake slows the progression of CKD or not. However, high water intake suppresses plasma levels of arginine vasopressin (AVP), which is expected to be beneficial for the preservation of the kidney function. Previous studies suggest that water intake suppresses plasma levels of AVP, and high levels of AVP have been suggested to play deleterious roles in animal models of kidney disease. Moreover, recent epidemic of CKD of unknown origin, which was supposed to be related to the insufficient water intake and chronic volume depletion, has been reported in Central America, further suggesting that the suppression of AVP by sustained water intake might be beneficial in this CKD population. Indeed, the data from recent studies were consistent with the view that high water intake is associated with slower progression of CKD. However, contradictory findings also exist. The intriguing effects of increased urine volume in preserving the glomerular filtration rate in human patients with CKD require more large and well-designed randomized prospective clinical trials.

Salt Sensitivity and Hypertension: A Paradigm Shift from Kidney Malfunction to Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction

Hypertension is a complex trait determined by both genetic and environmental factors and is a major public health problem due to its high prevalence and concomitant increase in the risk for cardiovascular disease. With the recent large increase of dietary salt intake in most developed countries, the prevalence of hypertension increases tremendously which is about 30% of the world population. There is substantial evidence that suggests some people can effectively excrete high dietary salt intake without an increase in arterial BP, and another people cannot excrete effectively without an increase in arterial BP. Salt sensitivity of BP refers to the BP responses for changes in dietary salt intake to produce meaningful BP increases or decreases. The underlying mechanisms that promote salt sensitivity are complex and range from genetic to environmental influences. The phenotype of salt sensitivity is therefore heterogeneous with multiple mechanisms that potentially link high salt intake to increases in blood pressure. Moreover, excess salt intake has functional and pathological effects on the vasculature that are independent of blood pressure. Epidemiologic data demonstrate the role of high dietary salt intake in mediating cardiovascular and renal morbidity and mortality. Almost five decades ago, Guyton and Coleman proposed that whenever arterial pressure is elevated, pressure natriuresis enhances the excretion of sodium and water until blood volume is reduced sufficiently to return arterial pressure to control values. According to this hypothesis, hypertension can develop only when something impairs the excretory ability of sodium in the kidney. However, recent studies suggest that nonosmotic salt accumulation in the skin interstitium and the endothelial dysfunction which might be caused by the deterioration of vascular endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL) and the epithelial sodium channel on the endothelial luminal surface (EnNaC) also play an important role in nonosmotic storage of salt. These new concepts emphasize that sodium homeostasis and salt sensitivity seem to be related not only to the kidney malfunction but also to the endothelial dysfunction. Further investigations will be needed to assess the extent to which changes in the sodium buffering capacity of the skin interstitium and develop the treatment strategy for modulating the endothelial dysfunction.

Dietary Salt Intake and Hypertension

Over the past century, salt has been the subject of intense scientific research related to blood pressure elevation and cardiovascular mortalities. Moderate reduction of dietary salt intake is generally an effective measure to reduce blood pressure. However, recently some in the academic society and lay media dispute the benefits of salt restriction, pointing to inconsistent outcomes noted in some observational studies. A reduction in dietary salt from the current intake of 9-12 g/day to the recommended level of less than 5-6 g/day will have major beneficial effects on cardiovascular health along with major healthcare cost savings around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommended to reduce dietary salt intake as one of the top priority actions to tackle the global non-communicable disease crisis and has urged member nations to take action to reduce population wide dietary salt intake to decrease the number of deaths from hypertension, cardiovascular disease and stroke. However, some scientists still advocate the possibility of increased risk of CVD morbidity and mortality at extremes of low salt intake. Future research may inform the optimal sodium reduction strategies and intake targets for general populations. Until then, we have to continue to build consensus around the greatest benefits of salt reduction for CVD prevention, and dietary salt intake reduction strategies must remain at the top of the public health agenda.

Uric Acid Puzzle: Dual Role as Anti-oxidantand Pro-oxidant

Hyperuricemia is known to be associated with the presence of cardiovascular and metabolic syndrome and with the development of incipient kidney disease and an accelerated renal progression. However, an elevated uric acid level was not generally regarded as a true etiology or mediator, but an indicator of these diseases. Uric acid has recently regained the clinical interest and popularity based on emerging data suggesting the causative role of hyperuricemia in cardiovascular and renal disease. Experimental data demonstrates oxidative stress is one of the earliest phenomena observed in vascular, renal, liver cells and adipocytes exposed to uric acid. Since uric acid is one of the major antioxidants of plasma acting as a free radical scavenger and a chelator of transitional metal ion, uric acid-induced oxidative stress seems paradoxical. Data regarding the clinical implication of hyperuricemia is even more confusing, which defines hyperuricemia as a useless parameter to be eliminated from routine follow-up or a major risk factor to be therapeutic target. With a review of experimental and epidemiologic data, the presence of molecular switch to regulate the role of uric acid as anti- or pro-oxidant in different compartment of our body is suggested, which may shed light on understanding the paradoxical role of uric acid and solving the "uric acid debate".

How do We Manage Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with CKD and ESRD?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been shown to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. In addition, patients with pre-dialysis CKD appear to be more likely to die of heart disease than of kidney disease. CKD accelerates coronary artery atherosclerosis by several mechanisms, notably hypertension and dyslipidemia, both of which are known risk factors for coronary artery disease. In addition, CKD alters calcium and phosphorus homeostasis, resulting in hypercalcemia and vascular calcification, including the coronary arteries. Mortality of patients on long-term dialysis therapy is high, with age-adjusted mortality rates of about 25% annually. Because the majority of deaths are caused by cardiovascular disease, routine cardiac catheterization of new dialysis patients was proposed as a means of improving the identification and treatment of high-risk patients. However, clinicians may be uncomfortable exposing asymptomatic patients to such invasive procedures like cardiac catheterization, thus noninvasive cardiac risk stratification was investigated widely as a more palatable alternative to routine diagnostic catheterization. The effective management of coronary artery disease is of paramount importance in uremic patients. The applicability of diagnostic, preventive, and treatment modalities developed in nonuremic populations to patients with kidney failure cannot necessarily be extrapolated from clinical studies in non-kidney failure populations. Noninvasive diagnostic testing in uremic patients is less accurate than in nonuremic populations. Initial data suggest that dobutamine echocardiography may be the preferred diagnostic method. PCI with stenting is a less favorable alternative to CABG, however, it has a faster recovery time, reduced invasiveness, and no overall mortality difference in nondiabetic and non-CKD patients compared with CABG. CABG is associated with reduced repeat revascularizations, greater relief of angina, and increased long term survival. However, CABG is associated with a higher incidence of post-operative risks. The treatment chosen for each patient should be an individualized decision based upon numerous risk factors. CKD is associated with higher rates of CAD, with 44% of all-cause mortality attributable to cardiac disease and about 20% from acute MI. Optimal treatment including aggressive lifestyle modifications and concomitant medical therapy should be implemented in all patients to maximize benefits from either PCI or CABG. Future prospective randomized controlled trials with newer second or third generation DES and bioabsorbable DES are necessary to determine if PCI may be non-inferior to CABG in the future.

Epidermal Proteinase-Activated Receptor-2 Expression is Increased in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients with Pruritus: A Pilot Study

Uremic pruritus is a common problem in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), but the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. We aimed to investigate the association between severity of uremic pruritus and cutaneous serine protease activity, as well as proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) expression. Twelve ESRD patients with pruritus, 4 ESRD patients without pruritus, and 6 healthy controls were enrolled. Skin biopsies were obtained from the abdomen. Protease activity and PAR-2 expression in the epidermis were examined by in situ zymography and confocal laser microscopy, respectively. All ESRD patients presented more pronounced cutaneous protease activity compared with that in healthy controls. The skin samples from the patients with pruritus showed higher protease activity than either nonpruritic ESRD patients or healthy controls. The epidermis in all samples of ESRD patients presented higher immunoreactivity against PAR-2 versus those of healthy controls. In addition, correlation analysis between PAR-2 expression and VAS pruritus scores showed a significant positive correlation. Our data suggests that levels of serine protease and PAR-2 expression could play important roles in the pathogenesis of uremic pruritus.

Potassium Balances in Maintenance Hemodialysis

Potassium is abundant in the ICF compartment in the body and its excretion primarily depends on renal (about 90%), and to a lesser extent (about 10%) on colonic excretion. Total body potassium approximated to 50mmol/kg body weight and 2% of total body potassium is in the ECF compartment and 98% of it in the intracellular compartment.Dyskalemia is a frequent electrolyte imbalance observed among the maintenance hemodialysis patients. In case of hyperkalemia, it is frequently "a silent and a potential life threatening electrolyte imbalance" among patients with ESRD under maintenance hemodialysis. The prevalence of hyperkalemia in maintenance HD patients was reported to be about 8.7-10%. Mortality related to the hyperkalemia has been shown to be about 3.1/1,000 patient-years and about 24% of patients with HD required emergency hemodialysis due to severe hyperkalemia. In contrast to the hyperkalemia, much less attention has been paid to the hypokalemia in hemodialysis patients because of the low prevalence under maintenance hemodialysis patients. Severe hypokalemia in the hemodialysis patients usually was resulted from low potassium intake (malnutrition), chronic diarrhea, mineralocorticoid use, and imprudent use of K-exchange resins. Recently, the numbers of the new patients with advanced chronic kidney disease undergoing maintenance hemodialysis are tremendously increasing worldwide. However, the life expectancy of these patients is still much lower than that of the general population. The causes of excess mortality in these patients seem to various, but dyskalemia is a common cause among the patients with ESRD undergoing hemodialysis.

Asymptomatic renal pseudoaneurysm after percutaneous renal biopsy

A 37-year-old man was referred to Division of Nephrology for a new renal cystic lesion that was found on ultrasonography. Four years prior to presentation, a percutaneous renal biopsy had been performed. Computed tomography scan showed a 4.4-cm-sized renal artery pseudoaneurysm in the left kidney. Selective renal angiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm in the left lower pole of the kidney. The renal pseudoaneurysmwas successfully embolized with coil. Follow-up Doppler ultrasonography showed no internal blood flow into the aneurysmal sac. His renal function remained stable after coil embolization.

Asymptomatic renal pseudoaneurysm after percutaneous renal biopsy Volume 32, Issue 2, June 2013, pp. 87-89

No abstract available.

Serum osteoprotegerin is associated with vascular stiffness and the onset of new cardiovascular events in hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and fetuin-A are vascular calcification regulators that may be related to high cardiovascular (CV) mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We evaluated the relationship between OPG, fetuin-A, and pulse wave velocity (PWV), a marker of vascular stiffness, and determined whether OPG and fetuin-A were independent predictors of CV events in HD patients. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study in 97 HD patients. OPG and fetuin-A were measured at baseline and arterial stiffness was evaluated by PWV. All patients were stratified into tertiles according to serum OPG levels. RESULTS: A significant trend was observed across increasing serum OPG concentration tertiles for age, HD duration, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and PWV. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that diabetes (beta = 0.430, p = 0.000) and OPG levels (beta = 0.308, p = 0.003) were independently associated with PWV. The frequency of new CV events was significantly higher in the upper OPG tertiles compared with those in the lower OPG tertiles. In Cox proportional hazards analysis, upper tertiles of OPG levels were significantly associated with CV events (hazard ratio = 4.536, p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Serum OPG, but not fetuin-A, levels were closely associated with increased vascular stiffness, and higher OPG levels may be independent predictors of new CV events in HD patients.

Severe Symptomatic Hyponatremia Caused by Low Dose Oral Cyclophosphamide: A Case Report / 대한신장학회지

Cyclophosphamide (CY), an alkylating agent, is frequently used in the treatment of various autoimmune disorders and malignancies. Acute hyponatremia is a well-known side effect of moderate to high dose intravenous CY treatment, but is rare in patients treated with low dose intravenous CY. We report the case of a severe symptomatic hyponatremia in a 68-year-old woman with renal impairment who was treated with oral CY (100 mg/day) for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated glomerulonephritis (GN). This case demonstrates that even oral CY could be associated with life threatening acute hyponatremia and should be used with caution.

Rhabdomyolysis-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Associated with Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome / 대한신장학회지

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is characterized by altered mental status, headache, vomiting, visual loss, seizure and reversible posterior subcortical white matter and cortex edema in brain image studies. It is often associated with malignant hypertension and immunosuppression. We present a 30-year-old male with PRES. He was admitted to our hospital with rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury (AKI). During the hospital course, he developed acute malignant hypertension accompanied by visual loss and generalized seizure. Brain MRI demonstrated increased signal intensity with gyral swelling in cerebellar hemisphere, parieto-occipital cortex, and subcortical white matter area. Following aggressive blood pressure control and hemodialysis the patient recovered fully without any neurologic or visual complications. We report a case of PRES associated with AKI due to rhabdomyolysis.

Effects of Lowering Dialysate Calcium Concentrations on Arterial Stiffness in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We assessed changes in hemodynamic and arterial stiffness parameters following reductions of dialysate calcium concentrations in patients undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: In this prospective study, 20 patients on maintenance hemodialysis (10 females, 10 males) with dialysate calcium concentrations of 1.75 mmol/L were enrolled. At the start of the study, the dialysate calcium level was lowered to 1.50 mmol/L. Serial changes in biochemical, hemodynamic, and arterial stiffness parameters, including pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx), were assessed every 2 months for 6 months. We also examined changes in the calcification-inhibitory protein, serum fetuin-A. RESULTS: During the 6-month study period, serum total calcium and ionized calcium decreased consistently (9.5 +/- 1.0 to 9.0 +/- 0.7, p = 0.002 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.1 to 1.1 +/- 0.1, p = 0.035). Although no apparent changes in blood pressure were observed, heart-femoral PWW (hf-PWV) and AIx showed significant improvement (p = 0.012, 0.043, respectively). Repeated-measures ANOVA indicated a significant effect of lowering dialysate calcium on hf-PWV (F = 4.58, p = 0.004) and AIx (F = 2.55, p = 0.049). Accompanying the change in serum calcium, serum fetuin-A levels significantly increased (95.8 +/- 45.8 pmol/mL at baseline to 124.9 +/- 82.2 pmol/mL at 6 months, p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Lowering dialysate calcium concentration significantly improved arterial stiffness parameters, which may have been associated with upregulation of serum fetuin-A.

A Case of Severe Metabolic Acidosis Associated with Sodium Hypochlorite (Bleach) Poisoning Treated by Hemodialysis / 대한내과학회지

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is commonly used as a disinfectant or bleaching agent. The ingestion of household bleach is often benign, with minimal irritating effect on the mucosa. Occasionally, however, it can be life-threatening. Here, we report an unusual case of acute poisoning involving household bleach with a near-fatal outcome that was treated with intense hemodialysis. A 42-year-old woman presented to the emergency room after ingesting 1 liter of 5% household bleach. Ten hours later, her metabolic acidosis, hypernatremia, hyperchloremia, and renal failure deteriorated gradually, despite aggressive medical treatment. Rapid, effective correction of the metabolic acidosis and electrolytes imbalance was needed and hemodialysis was performed immediately. After 3 days of dialysis, the laboratory imbalance was completely corrected.

A Case of Distal Renal Tubular Acidosis and Sjogren's Syndrome in a Patient with Autoimmune Thyroiditis / 대한신장학회지

A 52-year old woman, who had hypothyroidism associated with autoimmune thyroiditis for 5 years, was hospitalized for tingling sensation and muscle weakness of both lower extremities. Her initial laboratory findings showed severe hypokalemia, metabolic acidosis, and high titer of thyroid autoimmune antibodies. She was diagnosed of distal renal tubular acidosis by bicarbonate loading test (FEHCO(3)(-) <3.0 %) and renal calcifications on pre-enhanced CT scan. Since she had other symptoms of xerostomia and xerophthalmia, primary Sjogren's syndrome was diagnosed by Schirmer test, salivary scan, and serologic findings. She was treated with potassium citrate, potassium chloride, and hydroxychlorquine. Four months later, she has remained well with those treatments. There were only a few case reports about distal renal tubular acidosis associated with Sjogren's syndrome and autoimmune thyroiditis. In Korea, there has not been any report of such cases. Therefore, we report a case of distal renal tubular acidosis and Sjogren's syndrome in a patient with autoimmune thyroiditis.

Effects of Oral Adsorbent AST-120 (Kremezin(R)) on the Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease / 대한신장학회지

PURPOSE: AST-120 is known to delay progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) when combined with other proven therapy. AST-120 is an oral adsorbent for uremic toxin, such as indoxyl sulfate from the gastrointestinal tract. There have been a lot of studies to show its effect in other countries, but there are few studies done in Korea yet. METHODS: 195 patients were included in the study (mean age, 64+/-14 years; diabetes mellitus (DM), 104 patients; male, 130 patients). The patients with CKD who started AST-120 and maintained the medication for at least 6 months were enrolled. The patients' laboratory results for 6 months before and after administrating AST-120 was surveyed. Then the rate of patients' renal functional deterioration was compared before and after AST-120. In addition, adverse effects during the medication were surveyed. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in laboratory data between before and after AST-120 administration. But, after administrating AST-120, the renal deterioration slope has blunted significantly from -0.0123+/-0.0318 to -0.0013+/-0.0184 dL/mg/month (p<0.01) in 1/sCr and from -1.1423+/-2.3906 to 0.0639+/-1.3825 ml/min/1.73m2/month (p<0.01) in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). There were no differences between DM and non-DM patients in the effect of AST-120, as well as ages over 70 and below 70. There were no serious adverse effects during medication. CONCLUSION: This study showed that AST-120 had additive effect on retarding the CKD progression when combined with established therapy regardless of DM and ages without serious adverse effects.

Effect of Efonidipine on Proteinuria in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Receiving RAS Blockade / 대한신장학회지

PURPOSE: Efonidipine, which inhibits both T- and L-type calcium channels, has been shown to be effective in reducing proteinuria and preserve renal function. This study was conducted to compare the effects of efonidipine versus amlodipine on the management of hypertension and proteinuria in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving ACE inhibitors or ARB. METHODS: This study included 41 CKD patients who were at stages 2-4 and had a urine spot protein/ creatinine ratio of >0.5. Patients were administered amlodipine (5 mg/day) and efonidipine (40 mg/ day) for 3 months in a cross-over design. Blood pressure and spot urine protein/creatinine ratio were compared before and after the cross-over treatment. RESULTS: There were 24 male patients and 17 female patients. The mean age of the patients was 55.9+/-12.9 years. When the patients' medication was changed to eponidifine, we obtained the following results. First, there were no significant changes in blood pressure and serum creatinine. Second, the urine spot protein/creatinine ratio was significantly decreased (before the cross-over, 2.9+/-2.6; after the cross-over, 2.3+/-1.9 g/g; p=0.02). Finally, the reduction rate of proteinuria was significantly higher in patients with CKD at stages 2-3 than in those with CKD at stage 4 after the cross-over (stage 2, - 26.1%; stage 3, -17%; stage 4, +12.8%; p=0.03). CONCLUSION: It is concluded that efonidipine may significantly decrease proteinuria compared with amlodipine in CKD patients receiving ACE inhibitors or ARB. Further double-blind clinical trials with a larger sample size are needed to confirm our results.