High Incidence of Adverse Outcomes in Haemodialysis Patients with Diabetes with or without Diabetic Foot Syndrome: A 5-Year Observational Study in Lleida, Spain.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether, in subjects receiving haemodialysis (HD), the presence of diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) was associated with increased mortality compared with subjects with diabetes mellitus (DM) without DFS and with non-diabetic subjects. METHODS: Retrospective, observational study in 220 subjects followed for six years. We calculated and compared the frequency and 5-year cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality, CV events, major adverse CV events (MACE), and new foot ulcer (FU) or amputation. We also examined prognostic factors of all-cause and CV mortality based on baseline characteristics. RESULTS: DM patients had a 1.98 times higher probability of all-cause mortality than those without DM (p = 0.001) and 2.42 times higher likelihood of CV mortality and new FU or amputation (p = 0.002 and p = 0.008, respectively). In the DM cohort, only the risk of a new FU or amputation was 2.69 times higher among those with previous DFS (p = 0.021). In patients with DM, older age was the only predictor of all-cause and CV mortality (p = 0.001 and p = 0.014, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although all-cause and CV mortality were increased on HD subjects with DM, the presence of DFS did not modify the excess risk. Additional studies are warranted to further explore the impact of DFS in subjects with DM undergoing HD.

High Levels of Hemoglobin Promote Carotid Adventitial Vasa Vasorum Neoangiogenesis in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, characterized by traditional and nontraditional risk factors, are prone to develop atheromatosis and thus cardiovascular events and mortality. The angiogenesis of the adventitial vasa vasorum (aVV) surrounding the carotid has been described as the atheromatosis initiator. Therefore, the aim of the study was to (1) evaluate if the carotid aVV in CKD patients increases in comparison to its physiological value of healthy patients; (2) explore which traditional or nontraditional risk factor including inflammation, bone and mineral metabolism, and anemia could be related to the aVV angiogenesis. CKD patients without previous cardiovascular events (44, stages 3-4; 37, stage 5D) and 65 healthy subjects were compared. The carotid aVV and the intima-media thickness (cIMT) were evaluated by ultrasound. CKD patients at stages 3-4 showed higher aVV of the right carotid artery even after adjusting for age. Importantly, a multiple linear regression model showed hemoglobin levels > 12.5 g/dL as the factor for an estimated higher aVV of the right carotid artery. In conclusion, the association of hemoglobin with higher aVV could suggest the role of high hemoglobin in the higher incidence of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in CKD patients.

Higher impact of mineral metabolism on cardiovascular mortality in a European hemodialysis population.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of morbidity and mortality among hemodialysis patients. Chronic renal failure influences a number of factors that cause accelerated atherogenesis, with calcium, phosphorus, and PTH playing key roles. Several studies have demonstrated the influence of these factors on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the American hemodialysis population. In the present study we evaluated the variables that influence long-term cardiovascular mortality in a European hemodialysis population. METHODS: One hundred and forty-three hemodialysis patients were followed for six years. Several Cox models were used to study the influence of demographic and biochemical data, and comorbid conditions in cardiovascular survival, with a particular interest in mineral metabolism. RESULTS: There was an increased risk of cardiovascular death in patients with serum P>6.5 mg/dL (risk ratio [RR], 2.5), PTH>50 pmol/L (RR, 3.9), Ca x P>52 (RR, 2.8), BB or Bb genotype (RR, 3.8), and in diabetics. CONCLUSION: There is a stronger influence of mineral metabolism on cardiovascular death among European patients when compared to the American population.