Sarcopenia diagnosis using different criteria as a predictor of early mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem, causing secondary sarcopenia. The aim of this study was to evaluate sarcopenia using the definitions proposed by European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People in 2010 (EWGSOP2010) and 2019 (EWGSOP2019) as an independent prognostic factor for worse survival in patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: Muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance were assessed in a cohort of patients with CKD on hemodialysis. The sample consisted of 127 patients (40% >60 y of age) and 36 patients (28.3%) died after a median follow-up length of 23.5 mo (interquartile range= 14.9 - 29). The EWGSOP2010 and EWGSOP2019 definitions were used for diagnosing sarcopenia. Sarcopenia association with mortality by both definitions was investigated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models. The area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values for both definitions were also compared. RESULTS: Patients diagnosed with sarcopenia by both criteria had almost three times higher risk for mortality (95% confidence interval,1.45-6.06 and 1.44-6.13, respectively). Patients classified with severe sarcopenia by both definitions had a significantly lower survival, even after the adjusted analysis. The areas under the curve for EWGSOP2010 and EWGSOP2019 did not significantly differ. The sensitivity/specificity analysis was considered similar for both criteria, and around 70% of the patients was correctly classified. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia, notably severe sarcopenia, diagnosed by EWGSOP2010 or EWGSOP2019 criteria, is an independent prognostic factor for worse survival in this population. Early detection with effective interventions may decrease the higher mortality risk among patients with sarcopenia and CKD.

Incidence of tuberculosis infection in spondyloarthritis patients treated with biological and conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in an endemic area

Introduction: Registries of spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients' follow-up provided evidence that tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) increase the incidence of active tuberculosis infection (TB). However, most of these registries are from low burden TB areas. Few studies evaluated the safety of biologic agents in TB endemic areas. This study compares the TB incidence rate (TB IR) in anti-TNF-naïve and anti-TNF-experienced subjects with SpA in a high TB incidence setting.Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, medical records from patients attending a SpA clinic during 13 years (2004 to 2016) in a university hospital were reviewed. The TB IR was calculated and expressed as number of events per 105 patients/year; the incidence rate ratio (IRR) associated with the use of TNFi was calculated.Results: A total of 277 patients, 173 anti-TNF-naïve and 104 anti-TNF-experienced subjects, were evaluated; 35.7% (N = 35) of patients who were prescribed an anti-TNF drug were diagnosed with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Total follow-up time (person-years) was 1667.8 for anti-TNF-naïve and 394.9 for anti-TNF-experienced patients. TB IR (95% CI) was 299.8 (37.4-562.2) for anti-TNF naïve and 1012.9 (25.3-2000.5) for anti-TNF experienced subjects. The IRR associated with the use of TNFi was 10.4 (2.3- 47.9).Conclusions: In this high TB incidence setting, SpA patients exposed to anti-TNF therapy had a higher incidence of TB compared to anti-TNF-naïve subjects, although the TB incidence in the control group was significant.(AU)

Treating psoriatic arthritis to target: discordance between physicians and patients' assessment, non-adherence, and restricted access to drugs precluded therapy escalation in a real-world cohort.

The treat-to-target strategy (T2T) was associated with better outcomes in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) compared to standard care in clinical trials. This study aimed to analyze factors precluding treatment optimization in a T2T strategy conducted in a real-world cohort of PsA patients. A retrospective cross-sectional study nested in a cohort was conducted. Medical records of patients ≥ 18 years old, fulfilling CASPAR criteria and with at least one visit in the PsA clinic, were reviewed. Demographic data, current medication, and minimal disease activity (MDA) criteria were recorded. Reasons for the non-escalation of therapy in patients who were not classified as MDA were reported as absolute and relative frequencies. In the 8-month period, 131 visits (corresponding to 74 patients) were conducted. The MDA criteria were available in 113 visits (86.3%) and patients were classified as MDA in 31.0% of the visits (N = 35/113). Although in 69.0% of the visits patients were not in MDA, (N = 78/113), therapy was adjusted in only 42.3% (N = 33/78). Reasons precluding treatment escalation in non-MDA subjects were physician's impression of remission (57.7%, N = 26), non-adherence to previous prescription (17.8%, N = 8), restricted access to drugs (17.8%, N = 8), adverse events (11.1%, N = 5), poor understanding of medication instructions (6.7%, N = 3), patient's refusal to escalate therapy (4.4%, N = 2), and recent change in therapy (2.2%, N = 1). Discordance between the physician's clinical evaluation and the MDA criteria, non-adherence to prescription, and poor access to drugs were the main factors precluding escalation of therapy in a T2T strategy in a real-world PsA cohort.