Association between cortisol and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is characterized by left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). It has been reported that excess cortisol found in patients with Cushing's syndrome was associated with the development of LVDD. However, the relationship between cortisol concentration and LVDD in patients with diabetes mellitus has not been addressed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 109 patients with diabetes mellitus and 104 patients without diabetes mellitus who had undergone echocardiographic examination at Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan, between November 2016 and March 2019. Left ventricular function was evaluated and the ratio of early diastolic velocity from transmitral inflow to early diastolic velocity (E/e') was used as an index of diastolic function. Plasma cortisol concentrations, glycemic control, lipid profiles, treatment with antidiabetic drugs and other clinical characteristics were evaluated, and their associations with E/e' were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that log E/e' was positively correlated with age (P = 0.017), log systolic blood pressure (P = 0.004) and cortisol (P = 0.037), and negatively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.016) and the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (P = 0.042) in patients with diabetes mellitus. Multivariate analysis showed that cortisol was positively correlated with age (P = 0.016) and glycated hemoglobin (P = 0.011). There was no association between E/e' and cortisol in patients without diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSIONS: Increased cortisol levels might increase the risk of developing LVDD in diabetes mellitus patients.

Factors Contributing to Erythropoietin Hyporesponsiveness in Patients on Long-Term Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Factors contributing to erythropoietin (EPO) hyporesponsiveness in patients on long-term continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis are not well understood. Therefore, we investigated the factors contributing to EPO hyporesponsiveness using the EPO resistance index (ERI). METHODS: A total of 14 patients (7 males and 7 females, age 65.0 ± 11.9 years) were selected for this study. We defined ERI as the weekly dose of EPO per body weight divided by hemoglobin (U/kg/g/dl/week). Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to assess the patients' body composition and fluid status. We examined associations between ERI and clinical parameters, such as physiological, chemical and nutrition status, by correlation and multiple linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Peritoneal dialysis duration was 95 ± 23 months, and all patients underwent peritoneal dialysis for >5 years. Hemoglobin, blood pressure and ultrafiltration volume of peritoneal dialysis were 11.5 ± 1.2 g/dl, 123 ± 14/72 ± 8 mm Hg and 834 ± 317 ml/day, respectively. Renal Kt/V and peritoneal Kt/V, which are indices of dialysis adequacy, were 0.32 ± 0.31 and 1.70 ± 0.31, respectively. Age and extracellular water/total body water (ECW/TBW) ratio had significant positive correlations with ERI (both p < 0.05). Levels of C-reactive protein, serum albumin, parathyroid hormone and normalized protein catabolic rate were not significantly correlated with ERI. In a multiple regression analysis, ECW/TBW was independently associated with ERI (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that ECW/TBW was a factor contributing to ERI and that appropriate maintenance of body fluid volume could contribute to low EPO dosing.

Nephrology pre-dialysis care affects the psychological adjustment, not only blood pressure, anemia, and phosphorus control.

Several studies have suggested that pre-dialysis care is associated with clinical outcomes. However, little has been reported on the influence of pre-dialysis care on the psychological adjustment to dialysis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of pre-dialysis care on psychological adjustment to dialysis and clinical characteristics. In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 52 patients who started hemodialysis at our hospital. They were divided into two groups according to the time of referral to our hospital: the early referral group (over 1 year prior to first dialysis: 19 patients, mean age 69.3 ± 11.1) and the late referral group (within 1 year prior to first dialysis: 33 patients, mean age 72.3 ± 8.9). We measured the clinical characteristics and evaluated the psychological adjustment to dialysis by Shontz's stage theory. Compared with the late referral group, the early referral group had a significantly better clinical characteristics concerning blood pressure (140.2 ± 23.7 vs. 156.9 ± 23.3 mmHg, P = 0.0150), hemoglobin (10.3 ± 1.5 vs. 9.4 ± 1.0 g/dL, P = 0.0078), and phosphorus (4.5 ± 1.5 vs. 5.5 ± 1.3 mg/dL, P = 0.0166). In addition, psychological adjustment to dialysis evaluated by Shontz's stage theory was significantly better in the early referral group (P = 0.017). Our results indicate that nephrology pre-dialysis care affects not only blood pressure, anemia, and phosphorus control but also the psychological adjustment to dialysis.