Reduced kidney function and hypertension in adolescents with low birth weight, NHANES 1999-2016.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health problem, and the risk of CKD and hypertension in children born low birth weight (LBW) is under-recognized. We hypothesized that children born with LBW would have a higher prevalence of reduced kidney function and hypertension. METHODS: Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate whether LBW (< 2500 g), very low birth weight (VLBW < 1500 g), and large birth weight (BW) (> 4000 g) were associated with kidney disease using 4 different estimating equations. We used the Counahan-Barratt, updated Schwartz, CKiD-U25, and full age spectrum creatinine-based GFR estimating equations to evaluate associations between a history of LBW/VLBW/large BW and reduced kidney function (eGFR < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2) in children. We also assessed blood pressure (BP) using the old and new pediatric hypertension guidelines. RESULTS: Our analysis included 6336 children (age 12-15 years) in NHANES representing over 13 million US individuals. Using the updated Schwartz, the prevalence of reduced kidney function was 30.1% (25.2-35.6) for children born with LBW compared to 22.4% (20.5-24.3) in children with normal BW. Equations yielded different estimates of prevalence of reduced kidney function in LBW from 21.5% for Counahan-Barratt to 35.4% for CKiD-U25. Compared to those with normal BW, participants with LBW and VLBW had a 7.2 and 10.3% higher prevalence of elevated BP and a 2.4 and 14.6% higher prevalence of hypertension, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Children born with LBW are at higher risk of reduced kidney function and hypertension than previously described. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

AKI in Hospitalized Patients with and without COVID-19: A Comparison Study.

BACKGROUND: Reports from centers treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have noted that such patients frequently develop AKI. However, there have been no direct comparisons of AKI in hospitalized patients with and without COVID-19 that would reveal whether there are aspects of AKI risk, course, and outcomes unique to this infection. METHODS: In a retrospective observational study, we evaluated AKI incidence, risk factors, and outcomes for 3345 adults with COVID-19 and 1265 without COVID-19 who were hospitalized in a large New York City health system and compared them with a historical cohort of 9859 individuals hospitalized a year earlier in the same health system. We also developed a model to identify predictors of stage 2 or 3 AKI in our COVID-19. RESULTS: We found higher AKI incidence among patients with COVID-19 compared with the historical cohort (56.9% versus 25.1%, respectively). Patients with AKI and COVID-19 were more likely than those without COVID-19 to require RRT and were less likely to recover kidney function. Development of AKI was significantly associated with male sex, Black race, and older age (>50 years). Male sex and age >50 years associated with the composite outcome of RRT or mortality, regardless of COVID-19 status. Factors that were predictive of stage 2 or 3 AKI included initial respiratory rate, white blood cell count, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and lactate dehydrogenase level. CONCLUSIONS: Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had a higher incidence of severe AKI compared with controls. Vital signs at admission and laboratory data may be useful for risk stratification to predict severe AKI. Although male sex, Black race, and older age associated with development of AKI, these associations were not unique to COVID-19.

Associations between Socioeconomic Status and Urge Urinary Incontinence: An Analysis of NHANES 2005 to 2016.

PURPOSE: Urge urinary incontinence significantly impacts quality of life. We investigated the association between urge urinary incontinence and socioeconomic status in a nationally representative adult population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the 2005 to 2016 NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), a United States population based, cross-sectional study. Urge urinary incontinence was determined by self-report of leaking urine before reaching the toilet. Socioeconomic status was represented by the poverty income ratio, which reflects the family income relative to poverty thresholds specific to that year and household size. Survey weighted logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic status and the poverty income ratio. Multiplicative terms were applied to test for interaction in prespecified subgroups of interest. RESULTS: A total of 25,553 participants were included in the final analysis, representing 180 million people in the United States. Of the participants 19.4% reported any urge urinary incontinence, 4.2% reported weekly urge urinary incontinence and 1.6% reported daily urge urinary incontinence. In the fully adjusted multivariable models those with a poverty income ratio less than 2.00 showed significantly higher odds of any urge urinary incontinence compared to the group with a poverty income ratio of 2.00 or greater (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.30, p=0.003). There was increasing strength of association for weekly and daily urge urinary incontinence (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.12-1.55, p <0.001, and OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.23-2.09, p=0.001, respectively). Individual interaction analyses revealed no significant effect of female gender, age greater than 50 years, body mass index 30 kg/m2 or greater, or less than a high school education on the association of urge urinary incontinence with the poverty income ratio. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a significant association between urge urinary incontinence and socioeconomic status after meaningful adjustment for covariates. Health care interventions targeting low socioeconomic status individuals with urge urinary incontinence are needed to address this disparity.

Community Racial Composition and Hospitalization Among Patients Receiving In-Center Hemodialysis.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Community racial composition has been shown to be associated with mortality in patients receiving maintenenance dialysis. It is unclear whether living in communities with predominantly Black residents is also associated with risk for hospitalization among patients receiving hemodialysis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from a cohort of patients receiving hemodialysis. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 4,567 patients treated in 154 dialysis facilities located in 127 unique zip codes and enrolled in US Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) phases 4 to 5 (2010-2015). EXPOSURE: Tertile of percentage of Black residents within zip code of patients' dialysis facility, defined through a link to the American Community Survey. OUTCOME: Rate of hospitalizations during the study period. ANALYTIC APPROACH: Associations of patient-, facility-, and community-level variables with community's percentage of Black residents were assessed using analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis, or χ2/Fisher exact tests. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate the incidence rate ratio for hospitalizations between these communities, with and without adjustment for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: Mean age of study patients was 62.7 years. 53% were White, 27% were Black, and 45% were women. Median and threshold percentages of Black residents in zip codes in which dialysis facilities were located were 34.2% and≥14.4% for tertile 3 and 1.0% and≤1.8% for tertile 1, respectively. Compared with those in tertile 1 facilities, patients in tertile 3 facilities were more likely to be younger, be Black, live in urban communities with lower socioeconomic status, have a catheter as vascular access, and have fewer comorbid conditions. Patients dialyzing in communities with the highest tertile of Black residents experienced a higher adjusted rate of hospitalization (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.12-1.56) compared with those treated in communities within the lowest tertile. LIMITATIONS: Potential residual confounding. CONCLUSIONS: The risk for hospitalization for patients receiving maintenance dialysis is higher among those treated in communities with a higher percentage of Black residents after adjustment for dialysis care, patient demographics, and comorbid conditions. Understanding the cause of this association should be a priority of future investigation.

Interdisciplinary care clinics in chronic kidney disease.

The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is substantial, and is associated with high hospitalization rates, premature deaths, and considerable health care costs. These factors provide strong rationale for quality improvement initiatives in CKD care. The interdisciplinary care clinic (IDC) has emerged as one solution to improving CKD care. The IDC team may include other physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and social workers--all working together to provide effective care to patients with chronic kidney disease. Studies suggest that IDCs may improve patient education and preparedness prior to kidney failure, both of which have been associated with improved health outcomes. Interdisciplinary care may also delay the progression to end-stage renal disease and reduce mortality. While most studies suggest that IDC services are likely cost-effective, financing IDCs is challenging and many insurance providers do not pay for all of the services. There are also no robust long-term studies demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of IDCs. This review discusses IDC models and its potential impact on CKD care as well as some of the challenges that may be associated with implementing these clinics.

Neighborhood socioeconomic status, race, and mortality in young adult dialysis patients.

Young blacks receiving dialysis have an increased risk of death compared with whites in the United States. Factors influencing this disparity among the young adult dialysis population have not been well explored. Our study examined the relation of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and racial differences in mortality in United States young adults receiving dialysis. We merged US Renal Data System patient-level data from 11,027 black and white patients ages 18-30 years old initiating dialysis between 2006 and 2009 with US Census data to obtain neighborhood poverty information for each patient. We defined low SES neighborhoods as those neighborhoods in U.S. Census zip codes with ≥20% of residents living below the federal poverty level and quantified race differences in mortality risk by level of neighborhood SES. Among patients residing in low SES neighborhoods, blacks had greater mortality than whites after adjusting for baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, rurality, and access to care factors. This difference in mortality between blacks and whites was significantly attenuated in higher SES neighborhoods. In the United States, survival between young adult blacks and whites receiving dialysis differs by neighborhood SES. Additional studies are needed to identify modifiable factors contributing to the greater mortality among young adult black dialysis patients residing in low SES neighborhoods.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Self-Reported COVID-19 Exposure Risks, Concerns, and Behaviors Among Diverse Participants in the Women's Health Initiative Study.

BACKGROUND: Racial and ethnic disparities in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk are well-documented; however, few studies in older adults have examined multiple factors related to COVID-19 exposure, concerns, and behaviors or conducted race- and ethnicity-stratified analyses. The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) provides a unique opportunity to address those gaps. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of WHI data from a supplemental survey of 48 492 older adults (mean age 84 years). In multivariable-adjusted modified Poisson regression analyses, we examined predisposing factors and COVID-19 exposure risk, concerns, and behaviors. We hypothesized that women from minoritized racial or ethnic groups, compared to non-Hispanic White women, would be more likely to report: exposure to COVID-19, a family or friend dying from COVID-19, difficulty getting routine medical care or deciding to forego care to avoid COVID-19 exposure, and having concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Asian women and non-Hispanic Black/African American women had a higher risk of being somewhat/very concerned about risk of getting COVID-19 compared to non-Hispanic White women and each was significantly more likely than non-Hispanic White women to report forgoing medical care to avoid COVID-19 exposure. However, Asian women were 35% less likely than non-Hispanic White women to report difficulty getting routine medical care since March 2020 (adjusted relative risk 0.65; 95% confidence interval 0.57, 0.75). CONCLUSIONS: We documented COVID-related racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 exposure risk, concerns, and care-related behaviors that disfavored minoritized racial and ethnic groups, particularly non-Hispanic Black/African American women.

Interdisciplinary Care and Preparedness for Kidney Failure Management in a High-Risk Population.

Rationale & Objective: Interdisciplinary care may improve health outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Few studies have evaluated this model of health care delivery in racial and ethnic minorities. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants: Incident end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients at Montefiore Medical Center from October 1, 2013, to October 31, 2019. Exposure: Pre-ESKD interdisciplinary care. Outcomes: Pre-ESKD transplant listing and optimal kidney replacement therapy (KRT) start (use of arteriovenous access at hemodialysis initiation, outpatient hemodialysis start, preemptive transplant, or peritoneal dialysis as the first modality). Analytical Approach: We constructed multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical factors to determine the odds of transplant listing and optimal KRT start between interdisciplinary versus the usual care group. Results: Of the 295 incident ESKD patients included in our study, 84 received interdisciplinary care and 211 received usual nephrology care. The mean age was 59.9 years (standard deviation, 13.9 years), 47% were women, and 87% were African American or Hispanic. Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups, except that the interdisciplinary care group had a lower prevalence of hypertension (60% vs 75%). Compared with usual care, a higher proportion of patients in the interdisciplinary care group were listed for kidney transplant (44% vs 16%) and had an optimal KRT start (53% vs 44%). Receipt of interdisciplinary care was associated with a higher odds (OR, 5.73; 95% CI, 2.78-11.80; P < 0.001) of transplant listing compared with usual care after adjusting for important sociodemographic and clinical factors. The odds of an optimal KRT start also favored interdisciplinary care (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 0.88-2.89; P = 0.12) but did not achieve statistical significance. Limitations: The study was non-randomized and had a small sample size. Conclusions: Interdisciplinary care is associated with better ESKD preparedness compared with usual nephrology care alone in racial and ethnic minorities. Larger studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of interdisciplinary care in patients with advanced CKD.

The Role of Place in Disparities Affecting Black Men Receiving Hemodialysis.

INTRODUCTION: Black men are over-represented in the end stage kidney disease population and are at disproportionate risk of unfavorable outcomes. There is a paucity of investigation to elucidate the mediators of this risk. This study attempts to identify residential community attributes as a possible contributor. METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of prospectively collected data from a cohort of Black men enrolled in the US Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS), 2010--2015, linked to the American Community Survey, by dialysis facility zip codes was undertaken. The exposure variable was the dialysis facility community composition as defined by percent Black residents. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate incidence rate ratio (IRR) of hospitalization (first outcome) for Black men in crude and adjusted models. Similarly, Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate mortality (second outcome) for Black men by type of community. RESULTS: A total of 702 Black men receiving chronic hemodialysis were included in the study. Black men receiving hemodialysis in communities with greater proportions of Black residents had lower Charlson scores and fewer comorbidities, but a higher rate of hypertension. They had equivalent adherence to dialysis treatments, but a lower rate of arteriovenous fistula use and fewer dialysis minutes prescribed. Black men receiving dialysis in communities with a greater proportion of Black residents (per 10% increase) had higher adjusted hospitalization rates (IRR 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.19) and mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.29, 95% CI 1.05-1.59). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the unique role of residential community as a risk factor for Black men with end stage kidney disease, showing higher hospitalization and mortality in those treating in Black versus non-Black communities, despite equivalent adherence and fewer comorbidities.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with severe respiratory failure from COVID-19.

PURPOSE: Limited data are available on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with severe hypoxemic respiratory failure from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: We examined the clinical features and outcomes of 190 patients treated with ECMO within 14 days of ICU admission, using data from a multicenter cohort study of 5122 critically ill adults with COVID-19 admitted to 68 hospitals across the United States. To estimate the effect of ECMO on mortality, we emulated a target trial of ECMO receipt versus no ECMO receipt within 7 days of ICU admission among mechanically ventilated patients with severe hypoxemia (PaO2/FiO2 < 100). Patients were followed until hospital discharge, death, or a minimum of 60 days. We adjusted for confounding using a multivariable Cox model. RESULTS: Among the 190 patients treated with ECMO, the median age was 49 years (IQR 41-58), 137 (72.1%) were men, and the median PaO2/FiO2 prior to ECMO initiation was 72 (IQR 61-90). At 60 days, 63 patients (33.2%) had died, 94 (49.5%) were discharged, and 33 (17.4%) remained hospitalized. Among the 1297 patients eligible for the target trial emulation, 45 of the 130 (34.6%) who received ECMO died, and 553 of the 1167 (47.4%) who did not receive ECMO died. In the primary analysis, patients who received ECMO had lower mortality than those who did not (HR 0.55; 95% CI 0.41-0.74). Results were similar in a secondary analysis limited to patients with PaO2/FiO2 < 80 (HR 0.55; 95% CI 0.40-0.77). CONCLUSION: In select patients with severe respiratory failure from COVID-19, ECMO may reduce mortality.

Group-Based Care in Adults and Adolescents With Hypertension and CKD: A Feasibility Study.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Group-based care provides an opportunity to increase patient access to providers without increasing physician time and is effective in the management of chronic diseases in the general population. This model of care has not been investigated in chronic kidney disease (CKD). STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial in adults (n = 50); observational study in adolescents (n = 10). SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Adults and adolescents with CKD and hypertension in the Bronx, NY. INTERVENTION: Group-based care (monthly sessions over 6 months) versus usual care in adults. All adolescents received group-based care and were analyzed separately. OUTCOMES: Participant attendance and satisfaction with group-based care were used to evaluate intervention feasibility. The primary clinical outcome was change in mean 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure. Secondary outcomes included physical activity, medication adherence, quality of life, and sodium intake as assessed by 24-hour urinary sodium excretion and food frequency questionnaires. RESULTS: Among adults randomly assigned to group-based care, attendance was high (77% of participants attended ≥3 sessions) and most reported higher satisfaction. Mean 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure decreased by -4.2 (95% CI, -13.3 to 5.8) mm Hg in group-based care patients compared with usual care at 6 months but this was not statistically significant. Similarly, we did not detect significant differences in health-related behaviors (such as medication adherence, sodium intake, and physical activity) or quality-of-life measures between the 2 groups. Among the adolescents, attendance was very poor; self-reported satisfaction, although high, did not change from baseline compared with the 6-month follow-up. LIMITATIONS: Small study size, missing data. CONCLUSIONS: Group-based care is feasible and acceptable among adults with hypertension and CKD. However, a larger trial is needed to determine the effect on blood pressure and health-related behaviors. Patient participation may limit the effectiveness of group-based care models in adolescents. FUNDING: National Institutes of Health R34 DK102174. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT02467894.

The Effects of Dairy Intake on Insulin Resistance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) has increased in the US over the last several years. The consumption of low-fat dairy foods has been linked with decreasing the risk of DM but studies have yet to show a clear correlation. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of dairy intake on homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), waist circumference, and body weight. In MEDLINE and Embase, we identified and reviewed 49 relevant RCTs: 30 had appropriate data format for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Using the Review Manager 5 software, we calculated the pooled standardized mean differences comparing dairy dietary interventions to control for our outcomes of interest. For HOMA-IR (794 individuals), we found a mean difference of -1.21 (95% CI -1.74 to -0.67; p-value < 0.00001; I2 = 92%). For waist circumference (1348 individuals), the mean difference was -1.09 cm (95% CI 1.68 to -0.58; p-value < 0.00001; I2 = 94%). For body weight (2362 individuals), the dairy intake intervention group weighed 0.42 kg less than control (p-value < 0.00001; I2 = 92%). Our findings suggest that dairy intake, especially low-fat dairy products, has a beneficial effect on HOMA-IR, waist circumference, and body weight. This could impact dietary recommendations to reduce DM risk.