Kidney function in patients with bipolar disorder with and without lithium treatment compared with the general population in northern Sweden: results from the LiSIE and MONICA cohorts.

BACKGROUND: The clinical relevance of lithium nephropathy is subject to debate. Kidney function decreases with age and comorbidities, and this decline might lead to attribution bias when erroneously ascribed to lithium. We aimed to investigate whether patients with bipolar or schizoaffective disorder had faster decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) compared with the general population, whether observed differences in the steepness of the decline were attributable to lithium, and whether such changes depended on the length of lithium exposure. METHODS: In this cross-sectional cohort study, we used clinical data from the Lithium-Study into Effects and Side-effects (LiSIE) retrospective cohort study, which included patients with bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder whose medical records were reviewed up to Dec 31, 2017, and the WHO Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) study, covering a representative sample of the general population in northern Sweden aged 25-74 years. The primary outcome was the age-associated decline of creatinine-based eGFR, assessed using linear regression. We adjusted for sex and grouped for different lengths of lithium exposure (never or <1 year, 1-5 years, >5-10 years, and >10 years). For patients with moderate-to-severe kidney disease we identified the underlying nephropathy in the case records. FINDINGS: From LiSIE, we included 785 patients (498 [63%] female and 287 [37%] male), with a mean age of 49·8 years (SD 13·2; range 25-74). From MONICA, we included 1549 individuals (800 [52%] female and 749 [48%] male), with a mean age of 51·9 years (13·8; 25-74). No ethnicity data were collected. Adjusted for duration of lithium exposure, eGFR declined by 0·57 mL/min/1·73 m2/year (95% CI 0·50-0·63) in patients with bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder and by 0·57 mL/min/1·73 m2/year (0·53-0·61) in the reference population. Lithium added 0·54 mL/min/1·73 m2 (0·43-0·64) per year of treatment (p<0·0001). After more than 10 years on lithium, decline was significantly steeper than in all other groups including the reference population (p<0·0001). Lithium nephropathy was judged to be the commonest cause of moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease, but comorbidities played a role. The effect of lithium on eGFR showed a high degree of inter-individual variation. INTERPRETATION: Steeper eGFR decline in patients with bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder can be attributed to lithium, but the trajectory of kidney function decline varies widely. Comorbidities affecting kidneys should be treated assertively as one possible means to affect the trajectory. In patients with a fast trajectory, a trade-off is required between continuing lithium to treat mental health problems and discontinuing lithium for the sake of renal health. FUNDING: Norrbotten County Research and Learning Fund Sweden, Visare Norr (Northern County Councils Regional Federation Fund), Swedish Kidney Foundation (Njurfonden), Swedish Kidney Association (Njurförbundet), Norrbotten section. TRANSLATION: For the Swedish translation of the Summary see Supplementary Materials section.

Rinsing the extra corporeal circuit with a heparin and albumin solution reduces the need for systemic anticoagulant in hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Systemic anticoagulation during hemodialysis (HD) increases the risk for bleeding complications pre- or post-operatively. Based on the concept of blood-membrane interaction, we developed a heparin-albumin solution to rinse the dialysis circuit before start. The aim of this study was to investigate if this method was a valuable tool for our patients at risk for bleeding complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective, comparative, quality assessment study included 248 HD in 68 patients; Group1: 178 treatments were performed at patients for risk of bleeding using heparin-albumin-priming and Group 2: 70 acute HD were performed on patients without increased risk of bleeding using a bolus of heparin at start and a continuous infusion of heparin. In Group 1 additional heparin was given upon suspicion of progressive clotting. One L saline contained albumin (1 g/l) and heparin (5000 U/l) used for priming. Excess priming solution was removed by filling the circuit with blood at start of treatment. RESULTS: In Group 1, a mean total dose of 2000 U of heparin was given during the HD (18% performed HD without any heparin) and Group 2 used a mean total dose of 5500 U (p<0.001). There was no increased incidence of clotting in Group 1 versus Group 2 compared to standard HD. No bleeding complications were reported during any of the HA-priming treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Heparin-albumin priming resulted in a reduced total dose of heparin. There was no increased clotting and no incidence of bleeding was reported in either group.