Effects of Dietary App-Supported Tele-Counseling on Sodium Intake, Diet Quality, and Blood Pressure in Patients With Diabetes and Kidney Disease.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of a telehealth intervention that used a dietary app, educational website, and weekly dietitian tele-counseling on sodium intake, diet quality, blood pressure, and albuminuria among individuals with diabetes and early-stage chronic kidney disease. DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined the effects of a dietary app-supported tele-counseling intervention in a single center, single arm study of 44 participants with type 2 diabetes and stage 1-3a chronic kidney disease. Participants recorded and shared dietary data via MyFitnessPal with registered dietitians, who used motivational interviewing to provide telephone counseling weekly for 8 weeks. After the 8-week intensive intervention, participants were followed at 6 and 12 months. Outcomes included 24-hour urine sodium (2 collections per timepoint), Healthy Eating Index 2015 score (three 24-hour dietary recalls per timepoint), 24-hour systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and 24-hour urine albumin excretion. RESULTS: Out of 44 consented participants (mean age 60.3 ± 11.9 years, 43% female, 89% white, median estimated glomerular filtration rate was 78.5 mL/min/1.73 m2, median urine albumin excretion 52.9 mg/day, 84% hypertension), 32 (73%) completed 8-week follow-up, 27 (61%) completed 6-month follow-up, and 25 (57%) completed 12-month follow-up. Among participants who completed 12-month follow-up, reported sodium intake decreased by 638 mg/day from baseline of 2,919 mg/day (P < .001). The 24-hour mean urine sodium and albumin excretion did not decline over the study period. Healthy Eating Index 2015 score improved by 7.76 points at 12 months from a mean baseline of 54.6 (P < .001). Both 24-hour SBP and DBP declined at 12 months from baseline (SBP -5.7 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval -10.5 to -1.0, P = .02; DBP -4.1 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval -7.2 to -1.1, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study demonstrates that a short, intensive, remotely delivered dietary intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes and early chronic kidney disease at high risk for disease progression and cardiovascular complications led to improvement in blood pressure and self-reported sodium intake and diet quality, but no improvement in albuminuria. Future research studies are needed to examine whether remotely delivered dietary interventions can ultimately improve kidney health over time.

Strategies to Treat Obesity in Patients With CKD.

Obesity prevalence continues to increase worldwide, accompanied by a rising tide of hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although body mass index is typically used to assess obesity in clinical practice, altered body composition (eg, reduced muscle mass and increased visceral adiposity) are common among patients with CKD. Weight loss achieved through behavioral modification or medications reduces albuminuria and in some cases slows the decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate. Use of medications that promote weight loss with favorable cardiovascular risk profiles should be promoted, particularly in patients with type 2 diabetes, obesity, and CKD. For those who fail to achieve weight loss through lifestyle modification, bariatric surgery should be considered because observational studies have shown reductions in risk for estimated glomerular filtration rate decline and kidney failure. Uncertainty persists on the risk to benefit ratio of intentional weight loss in patients with kidney failure due to the lack of prospective trials and limitations of observational data. Regardless, sleeve gastrectomy is increasingly being used for patients with kidney failure and severe obesity, with success in achieving sustained weight loss, improved access to kidney transplantation, and favorable posttransplantation outcomes. More research is needed assessing long-term cardiovascular and kidney outcomes of most weight loss medications.

Performance of Glomerular Filtration Rate Estimating Equations Before and After Bariatric Surgery.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is challenging in adults undergoing bariatric surgery because creatinine and cystatin C levels are influenced by changes in muscle and fat mass. Additionally, indexing of GFR by body surface area (BSA) may by affected by decreases in BSA. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 27 adults with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m2 who underwent measurement of GFR before and after bariatric surgery. OUTCOMES: Indexed and nonindexed GFRs measured (mGFRs) using plasma iohexol clearance, indexed and nonindexed estimated GFR (eGFR) based on levels of creatinine, cystatin C, or both from Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations. ANALYTIC APPROACH: Bias and percent of estimates within 20% and 30% of mGFR (P20 and P30) for estimating equations were examined. RESULTS: Mean presurgery BMI was 49.5 (SD, 9.4) kg/m2, BSA was 2.42 (SD, 0.27) m2, nonindexed mGFR was 117.3 (SD, 34.1) mL/min, and indexed mGFR was 84.1 (SD, 22.0) mL/min/1.73 m2. After 6 months, mean BMI changed by -13.8 (95% CI, -15.9 to -11.8) kg/m2, BSA by -0.30 (95% CI, -0.33 to -0.27) m2, and nonindexed mGFR by -9.2 (95% CI, -17.2 to -1.1) mL/min, while indexed mGFR was unchanged at 5.1 (95% CI, -0.1 to 10.4) mL/min/1.73 m2. Nonindexed eGFRcr was unbiased (median bias, 5.0 [95% CI, -4.3 to 11.6] mL/min) before surgery, but overestimated mGFR (8.8 [95% CI, 1.8 to 16.9] mL/min) after surgery. Nonindexed eGFRcys underestimated mGFR before (median bias, -12.1 [95% CI, -21.4 to -1.2] mL/min) and after surgery (-11.2 [95% CI, -21.8 to -7.3] mL/min). Nonindexed eGFRcr-cys was unbiased before (median bias, -6.0 [95% CI, -11.0 to 1.0] mL/min) and after surgery (-2.0 [95% CI, -8.8 to 4.9] mL/min). Findings were similar for indexed eGFR compared with indexed mGFR. LIMITATIONS: Small, mostly white sample. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in indexed and nonindexed GFRs may be discordant after bariatric surgery in adults because of decreases in BSA. Indexed and nonindexed eGFRcr-cys may be less biased than indexed or nonindexed eGFRcr or eGFRcys because of opposite biases in estimating mGFR.

Bisphosphonate utilization across the spectrum of eGFR.

Bisphosphonates are the most common treatment for osteoporosis but there are concerns regarding its use in CKD. We evaluated the frequency of BSP by eGFR categories among patients with osteoporosis from two healthcare systems. Our results show that 56% of patients were treated, with reduced odds in those with lower eGFR. INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Bisphosphonates (BSP) are the most common treatment but there are concerns regarding its efficacy and toxicity in CKD. We evaluated the frequency of BSP use by level of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with osteoporosis. METHODS: We assessed BSP use in patients with incident osteoporosis from the SCREAM-Cohort, Stockholm-Sweden, and Geisinger Healthcare, PA, USA. Osteoporosis was defined as the first encountered ICD diagnosis, and BSP use was defined as the dispensation or prescription of any BSP from 6 months prior to 3 years after the diagnosis. Multinomial logistic regression was used to account for the competing risk of death. RESULTS: A total of 15,719 women and 3011 men in SCREAM and 17,325 women and 3568 men in Geisinger with incident osteoporosis were included. Overall, 56% of individuals used BSP in both studies, with a higher proportion in women. After adjustments, the odds of BSP was lower across lower eGFR in SCREAM, ranging from 0.90 (0.81-0.99) for eGFR 75-89 mL/min/1.73m2 to 0.56 (0.46-0.68) for eGFR 30-44 mL/min/1.73m2 in women and from 0.72 (0.54-0.97) for eGFR of 60-74 to 0.42 (0.25-0.70) for eGFR 30-44 mL/min/1.73m2 in men. In Geisinger, odds were lower for eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73m2 in both sexes and the frequency of BSP use dropped over time. CONCLUSION: In the two healthcare systems, approximately half of the people diagnosed with osteoporosis received BSP. Practices of prescription in relation to eGFR varied, but those with lower eGFR were less likely to receive BSP.