Prime time for chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a public health burden worldwide and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Most patients with CKD are managed by primary care practitioners and this educational series hope to improve knowledge and delivery of care to this high-risk patient population with CKD.

The ABCs of Kidney Disease: Knowledge Retention and Healthcare Involvement.

Low health literacy in the chronic kidney disease population results in lower rates of pre-dialysis preparation and understanding of management to slow progression. The ABCs of Kidney Disease education class provided education in a more consistent manner outside of routine office visits. We aimed to study whether a structured education program would increase kidney disease-specific knowledge and healthcare involvement. Knowledge retention at least 6 months after the class assessed by the Kidney Disease Knowledge Surveys (KiKS) and healthcare involvement based on surveys sent to referring providers were found to have increased. Incorporation of a structured education program would be important for providers to improve long-term knowledge and lead to greater healthcare involvement. Providing an education class outside of the routine office visits will provide a greater impact on health literacy.

Reducing Kidney Function Decline in Patients With CKD: Core Curriculum 2021.

An estimated 8% to 16% of the world's population has chronic kidney disease, defined by low glomerular filtration rate or albuminuria. Progression of chronic kidney disease is associated with adverse outcomes, including incident kidney failure with replacement therapy, accelerated cardiovascular disease, disability, and mortality. Therefore, slowing kidney function decline is paramount in the management of a patient with chronic kidney disease. Ascertaining the cause of kidney disease is an important first step and may compel specific therapies. Effective approaches that apply to the vast majority of patients with chronic kidney disease include the optimization of blood pressure and blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, particularly if albuminuria is present. Recent studies suggest that sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors are highly effective treatments in patients with diabetes and/or albuminuria. For patients with type 2 diabetes, glycemic control is important in preventing the development of microvascular complications, and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists may help reduce albuminuria levels. Other strategies include correcting metabolic acidosis, maintaining ideal body weight, following diets that are low in sodium and animal protein, and avoiding potential nephrotoxins such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, proton-pump inhibitors, and iodinated contrast.

The Use of Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents in Patients With CKD and Cancer: A Clinical Approach.

Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have been used to manage anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) to reduce transfusion requirements and anemia symptoms. Lack of objective benefit of normalizing hemoglobin (Hb) levels and increased evidence of ESA-induced complications in persons with anemia has resulted in clinicians generally attempting to maintain Hb levels in the 10- to 11-g/dL range. In 2000, concerns in patients with cancer arose attributable to associations of ESA use with increased mortality, thrombotic complications, and cerebrovascular accidents led to a change in US Food and Drug Administration oncology guidelines regarding limitation of ESA use for chemotherapy-induced anemia. No guidance was rendered for individuals with CKD and cancer. Persons with CKD with remote or active malignancy should receive the lowest ESA doses possible that achieve a maximum Hb level of 10g/dL. Based on current data, although ESAs may promote progression or worsen outcomes in some cancers, we lack data that ESAs increase the likelihood of developing new cancers in patients on dialysis or earlier stages of CKD.

A finger photoplethysmography waveform during the valsalva maneuver detects changes in left heart filling pressure after hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: A noninvasive system for determining left ventricular (LV) filling pressure may help to improve personalized fluid removal goals in hemodialysis patients. We previously showed that the change in photoplethysmography (PPG) pulse amplitude measured by finger PPG during a Valsalva maneuver correlates with invasively measured left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). This key PPG change, the ratio of finger PPG pulse amplitude at end-Valsalva to baseline, is known as the Pulse Amplitude Ratio, PAR. The objective of this study was to determine how PAR changes after fluid removal in hemodialysis. METHODS: We tested subjects with end-stage renal disease, before and after hemodialysis. Each subject performed a Valsalva maneuver with an effort of 20 mmHg for 10 s, guided by the device display. Finger PPG was recorded continuously before and during the maneuver. PAR was calculated automatically. RESULTS: Twenty-seven subjects (21 Males) ages 25-75 years were tested. Access sites were AV-fistulas of the arm predominantly. Weight decreased from 99.7 ± 36.9 kg to 97.0 ± 6.0 kg (p < 0.0003) with an average fluid removal of 3.07 ± 1.08 l. Correspondingly, PAR decreased from 0.74 ± 0.24 to 0.62 ± 0.23 (p = 0.003). The change in PAR was correlated with baseline PAR (r = 0.48, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: An index of left heart filling pressure obtained noninvasively using finger photoplethysmography during the Valsalva maneuver is sensitive enough to detect reductions in filling pressure after fluid removal with hemodialysis. Further studies are warranted to determine if this method can be used to guide fluid removal during hemodialysis.

Clinical evaluation of the Trimline blood pressure cuffs with the Accutorr Plus Monitor.

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive blood pressure (BP) monitoring has become increasingly popular. To assure the accuracy of devices used for this purpose, these devices should be clinically validated using standard criteria such as those published by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). The purpose of this study was to collect and assess non-invasive BP data using the Trimline BP cuffs (Branchburg, New Jersey, USA) with the Accutorr Plus Monitor (Datascope Corp., Mahwah, New Jersey, USA) in accordance with AAMI standards. METHODS: Blood pressure measurements taken employing this device were compared with the results obtained by two experienced observers using a mercury sphygmomanometer on 109 subjects (545 measurements). The limits of agreement were calculated for the device compared with the results of the two observers according to the AAMI standards. RESULTS: The agreement parameters between the two observers were -0.49+/-3.81 mmHg for systolic BP and 0.50+/-3.19 mmHg for diastolic BP. The agreement between the device and the observers was -0.13+/-7.51 and 2.54+/-5.21 mmHg for systolic and diastolic BP, respectively. The proportions of observer and device values agreeing within 5, 10, and 15 mmHg were 65, 87, and 94% for systolic BP and 72, 93, and 97% for diastolic BP. CONCLUSIONS: The Trimline BP cuffs in conjunction with the Accutorr Plus device demonstrated acceptable accuracy and precision in accordance with the AAMI criteria for a non-invasive BP monitoring device.

Are clinical endpoint benefits of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors independent of their blood pressure effects?

Both basic and experimental data indicate that the renin-angiotensin system through angiotensin II mediates its classic hemodynamic role, but also has a significant deleterious role in a number of cardiac, vascular, and renal disorders. Indeed, evidence indicates that angiotensin II negatively impacts endothelial function, cardiac remodeling, vessel wall hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, and progressive renal disease. Newer data point to a significant role for angiotensin II in inflammation and in inducing plasminogen activator inhibitor. This widespread negative effect can be countered by newer antihypertensive drugs, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers. Both small and large clinical trials suggest a large benefit of such drugs on not only organ-specific endpoints such as renal disease or proteinuria, but on global cardiovascular events. It does appear that when blood pressure is significantly elevated, lowering blood pressure does indeed provide protection for larger endpoints such as stroke. However, at lower blood pressure levels, a hemodynamically independent effect is likely to be contributing to the positive effects. We should embrace these effects and champion them for our patients.