Kidney diseases have assumed epidemic proportions in both developed and developing countries, particularly chronic kidney disease (CKD). While treatment modalities are available and accessible in developed economies with improvement in outcomes, survival, and quality of life, they are either unavailable or inaccessible in nations with emerging economies, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with an attendant worsening outcome and survival for CKD patients. The epidemiology of CKD in SSA has revealed that it preferentially affects adults in their economically productive years, usually below the age of 50 years, with consequent drain on the economy. This derives mainly from the major etiologies in the region, which are infection-induced chronic glomerulonephritis and hypertension, compounded by poverty as well as societal and health underdevelopment, poor resource allocation to health, and underdeveloped health infrastructures. This has made preventive nephrology a major goal in the sub-region, although those who have already developed CKD must be managed up to tertiary levels. In this review, we assessed the contributions of parasitic diseases (i.e., malaria and schistosomiasis), sickle cell disease and nephrotoxins with the aim of espousing their contributions to the burden of kidney disease, and proposing management options with the goal of ultimately reducing the burden of kidney disease in these disadvantaged populations.

BackgroundDespite remarkable improvement in renal function attributable to kidney transplantation, the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) remains high in the post-transplant period. Aggressive use of statins in KTRs may make lipoprotein ratios correlate better with atherosclerotic vascular disease (AsVD) when compared with traditional lipid profile parameters. We therefore evaluated the clinical and echocardiographic correlates of AsVD among non-diabetic, stable, black KTRs in South Africa.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of 41 adult (18–65 years), non-diabetic, stable KTRs and 41 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on participants’ sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Anthropometric parameters were measured. Urine and blood samples were obtained and analyzed. Echocardiography was performed and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) was assessed in both right and left carotid arteries. Spearman’s rank correlation and binary logistic regression were performed to determine the relationship between CVD risk factors and AsVD.ResultsAsVD was present in 46.3% of KTRs compared to 17.1% of healthy controls (p = 0.004). Left ventricular hypertrophy was present in 92.7% of the KTRs. There were statistically significant differences in waist–hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, urine albumin–creatinine ratio, serum fibrinogen, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, left atrial diameter, left ventricular mass (LVM), and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) between KTRs and controls. A positive relationship was seen between CIMT and certain risk factors for CVD including LVM, LVMI, and mitral valve deceleration time, (p < 0.001). Castelli index 2 and lipoprotein combine index (LCI) showed positive correlation with CIMT. On multivariate analysis, increasing age and kidney transplant status were independent predictors of AsVD after controlling for other risk factors.ConclusionAsVD was common among KTRs. Older age and kidney transplant status independently predicted AsVD. Castelli index 2 and LCI correlated with AsVD better than serum lipid parameters.

BackgroundOccurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the setting of chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be described as a “cruel alliance”, with CVD responsible for about half of all deaths among CKD patients. Chronic kidney disease patients are more likely to die from CVD than progress to end stage kidney disease (ESKD). Dyslipidaemia, a known traditional risk factor for CVD, is highly prevalent among CKD patients and with an even higher frequency among ESKD patients on dialytic therapies. Prolonged exposure of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients to high glucose concentrations in CAPD fluid have been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. In this study, we investigated the relationship of atherosclerotic vascular disease (AsVD) to clinical and echocardiographic parameters among black South Africans with CKD (stage 3) and ESKD on CAPD and haemodialysis (HD).MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of 40 adult (18–65 years) non-diabetic CKD patients (kidney disease outcome quality initiative [KDOQI] stage 3), 40 ESKD patients on CAPD, 40 ESKD patients on HD and 41 age and sex-matched healthy controls. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on participants’ sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Anthropometric parameters were measured. Serum blood samples were analysed for creatinine, albumin and lipid profile; lipoprotein ratios, Framingham’s risk score and the 10-year risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) were calculated. Echocardiography was performed on all patients and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) was measured in both right and left carotid arteries at 1 cm proximal to the carotid bulb. Spearman’s rank correlation and binary logistic regression were conducted to determine the relationship of AsVD to clinical and echocardiographic parameters.ResultsAtherosclerotic vascular disease was most prevalent among ESKD patients on CAPD (70%, n = 28/40). Chronic kidney disease and HD patients exhibited a similar prevalence (47.5%, n = 19/40), while the prevalence in controls was 17.1% (n = 7/41). Presence of AsVD was associated with significantly older age, higher waist hip ratio (WHR), left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and Framingham’s 10-year risk of developing CHD. Significant differences in clinical and echocardiographic parameters were observed when the study groups were compared. Age and LVH independently predicted AsVD.ConclusionAtherosclerotic vascular disease was more prevalent among CAPD patients compared to pre-dialysis CKD and HD patients. Among all lipoprotein ratios assessed, non-HDL-C showed the most consistent significant difference between the groups. Age (> 40 years) and presence of LVH were independent predictors of AsVD.

Introduction patients' satisfaction is an important aspect in determining the quality of health care since it reveals how staff are progressing toward the patients' objectives. Objective: the study determined the treatment perception and expectations among diabetes and hypertensive patients in a teaching hospital in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Methods the study employed a cross-sectional design approach with a sample size of 200 participants. Descriptive analyses were used to answer the research questions while inferential statistics were used to test hypotheses at a significant level of p < 0.05. Results the findings revealed that 50% (n=196) and 57.1% (n=196) of the patients with diabetes and hypertension were above 60 years with mean age and standard deviation being 3.36 ± 0.72, while 63.3% (n=196) and 64.3% (n=196) of the patients with diabetes and hypertension were females. Overall, the results revealed a significant difference between the domains of participants´ expectations and perceptions, with the expectations domains being significantly higher for both diabetes and hypertensive patients with mean score and standard deviation being (-5.14 (±1.62) and -4.55 (±1.83)) respectively. However, the difference in the gap scores between the participants with diabetes and those with hypertension across the domains of patients´ expectations and perceptions was significant. Furthermore, apart from the tangible domain 19.76 (±0.87) (p < 0.05), the findings from the study showed that participants with diabetes had significantly higher expectation scores, when compared with those with hypertension in all domains. Additionally, the participants with diabetes showed the highest level of perception in the tangible 15.75 (±1.43) and empathy 20.50 (±1.20) domains while those with hypertension showed the highest level of perception in the reliability, responsiveness, and assurance domains (21.66 (±2.45), 16.58 (±1.38) and 21.43 (±2.03) p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusion efforts should be intensified by nurses and all other stakeholders to exceed patients´ expectations by continually improving the quality of health care and services offered to patients.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), such that the risk of cardiovascular mortality is greater than the risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease. Despite the increased prevalence of traditional and non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors, patients with kidney disease have been mostly under-represented in previous cardiovascular outcome studies, thereby resulting in a paucity of data on the evidence-based management of CVD in CKD. In this review, we explore the evidence on the burden of CVD and its risk factors in patients with CKD, highlight various inflammatory biomarkers for predicting CVD and provide an overview on novel biomarkers for CVD.