Background: Studies examining the association of dialysate potassium concentration and mortality in hemodialysis patients show conflicting findings. We hypothesized that low dialysate potassium concentrations are associated with higher mortality, particularly in patients with high pre-dialysis serum potassium concentrations. Methods: We evaluated 624 hemodialysis patients from the prospective Malnutrition, Diet, and Racial Disparities in Kidney Disease study recruited from 16 outpatient dialysis facilities over 2011–2015 who underwent protocolized collection of dialysis treatment characteristics every 6 months. We examined the association of dialysate potassium concentration, categorized as 1, 2, and 3 mEq/L, with all-cause mortality risk in the overall cohort, and stratified by pre-dialysis serum potassium (< 5 vs. ≥5 mEq/L) using case-mix adjusted Cox models. Results: In baseline analyses, dialysate potassium concentrations of 1 mEq/L were associated with higher mortality, whereas concentrations of 3 mEq/L were associated with similar mortality in the overall cohort (reference: 2 mEq/L): adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs; 95% CI) 1.70 (1.01–2.88) and 0.95 (0.64–1.39), respectively. In analyses stratified by serum potassium, baseline dialysate potassium concentrations of 1 mEq/L were associated with higher mortality in patients with serum potassium ≥5 mEq/L but not in those with serum potassium < 5 mEq/L: aHRs (95% CI) 2.87 (1.51–5.46) and 0.74 (0.27–2.07), respectively (p interaction = 0.04). These findings were robust with incremental adjustment for serum potassium, potassium-binding resins, and potassium-modifying medications. Conclusion: Low (1 mEq/L) dialysate potassium concentrations were associated with higher mortality, particularly in hemodialysis patients with high pre-dialysis serum potassium. Further studies are needed to identify therapeutic strategies that mitigate inter-dialytic serum potassium accumulation and subsequent high dialysate serum potassium gradients in this population.
Background: The value of chronic kidney disease (CKD) screening in the general population remains unclear but may be beneficial in populations with high disease prevalence. We examined risk factors for albuminuria among participants in a state-wide CKD screening program in Hawaii. Methods: The National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii Kidney Early Detection Screening (NKFH-KEDS) program held 19 CKD screening events from 2006 to 2012. Participants rotated through 5 stations during which sociodemographic, blood glucose, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), and spot urine albumin data were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analyses (adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index [BMI]) were used to identify clinical predictors of abnormal ACR (≥30 μg/mg) and abnormal spot urine albumin (>20 mg/L) levels. Results: Among 1,190 NKFH-KEDS participants who met eligibility criteria, 13 and 49% had abnormal ACR and urine albumin levels, respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, participants of older age (>65 years), Asian and Pacific Islander race/ethnicity, BMI ≥30 kg/m2, and with hypertension had higher risk of abnormal ACR. Being of older age; Asian, Pacific Islander, and Mixed race/ethnicity; and having diabetes was associated with higher risk of abnormal urine albumin levels in adjusted analyses. Conclusions: NKFH-KEDS participants of older age; Asian and Pacific Islander race/ethnicity; and with obesity, hypertension, and diabetes had higher risk of kidney damage defined by elevated ACR and urine albumin levels. Further studies are needed to determine whether targeted screening programs can result in timely identification of CKD and implementation of interventions that reduce cardiovascular disease, death, and progression to end-stage renal disease.
Background/Aims: Cardiovascular disease and protein-energy wasting are among the strongest predictors of the high mortality of dialysis patients. In the general population, the novel cardiovascular and wasting biomarker, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), is associated with decreased survival. However, little is known about GDF15 in dialysis patients. Methods: Among prevalent hemodialysis patients participating in a prospective study (October 2011 to August 2015), we examined the association of baseline GDF15 levels with all-cause mortality using unadjusted and case mix-adjusted death hazard ratios (HRs) that controlled for age, sex, race, ethnicity, diabetes, and dialysis vintage. Results: The mean age ± SD of the 203 patients included in the study was 53.2 ± 14.5 years, and the cohort included 41% females, 34% African-Americans, and 48% Hispanics. GDF15 levels (mean ± SD 5.94 ± 3.90 ng/mL; range 1.58-39.8 ng/mL) were higher among older patients and were inversely associated with serum creatinine concentrations as a surrogate for muscle mass. Each 1.0 ng/mL increase in GDF15 was associated with an approximately 17-18% higher mortality risk in the unadjusted and case mix models (p < 0.05). Increments of about 1 SD (a 4.0 ng/mL increase in GDF15) were associated with a nearly 2-fold higher death risk. The highest GDF15 tertile was associated with higher mortality risk (reference: lowest tertile): the HRs (95% CI) were 3.19 (1.35-7.55) and 2.45 (1.00-6.00) in the unadjusted and the case mix-adjusted model, respectively. These incremental death trends were confirmed in cubic spline models. Conclusion: Higher circulating GDF15 levels are associated with higher mortality risk in hemodialysis patients. Future studies are needed to determine whether GDF15 may represent a novel therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease, wasting, and death in this population.
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