Project description:Rationale & objectiveAtrial fibrillation (AF) is common in patients with kidney failure treated by maintenance dialysis. Whether the incidence of AF differs between patients receiving hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis is uncertain.Study designRetrospective cohort study.Setting & participantsUsing the US Renal Data System, we identified older patients (≥67 years) with Medicare Parts A and B who initiated dialysis therapy (1996-2011) without a diagnosis of AF during the prior 2 years.ExposureDialysis modality at incident end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and maintained for at least 90 days.OutcomePatients were followed up for 36 months or less for a new diagnosis of AF.Analytical approachTime-to-event analysis using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate cause-specific HRs while censoring at modality switch, kidney transplantation, or death.ResultsOverall, 271,722 older patients were eligible; 17,487 (6.9%) were treated with peritoneal dialysis, and 254,235 (93.1%), with hemodialysis, at the onset of ESRD. During 406,225 person-years of follow-up, 69,705 patients had AF newly diagnosed. Because the proportionality assumption was violated, we introduced an interaction term between time (first 90 days vs thereafter) and modality. The AF incidence during the first 90 days was 187/1,000 person-years on peritoneal dialysis therapy and 372/1,000 person-years on hemodialysis therapy. Patients on peritoneal dialysis therapy had an adjusted 39% (95% CI, 34%-43%) lower incidence of AF than those on hemodialysis therapy. From day 91 onward, AF incidence was ∼140/1,000 person-years with no major difference between modalities.LimitationsResidual confounding from unobserved differences between exposure groups; ascertainment of AF from billing claims; study of first modality may not generalize to patients switching modalities; uncertain generalizability to younger patients.ConclusionsAlthough patients initiating dialysis therapy using peritoneal dialysis had a lower AF incidence during the first 90 days of ESRD, there was no major difference in AF incidence thereafter. The value of interventions to reduce the early excess AF risk in patients receiving hemodialysis may warrant further study.
Project description:The influence of acute kidney injury (AKI) on subsequent incident atrial fibrillation (AF) has not yet been fully addressed. This retrospective nationwide cohort study was conducted using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2010. A total of 41,463 patients without a previous AF, mitral valve disease, and hyperthyroidism who developed de novo dialysis-requiring AKI (AKI-D) during their index hospitalization were enrolled. After propensity score matching, "non-recovery group" (n = 2895), "AKI-recovery group" (n = 2895) and "non-AKI group" (control group, n = 5790) were categorized. Within a follow-up period of 6.52 ± 3.88 years (median, 6.87 years), we found that the adjusted risks for subsequent incident AF were increased in both AKI-recovery group (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.30; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.07⁻1.58; p ≤ 0.01) and non-recovery group (aHR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.36⁻1.94) compared to the non-AKI group. Furthermore, the development of AF carried elevated risks for major adverse cardiac events (aHR = 2.11; 95% CI, 1.83⁻2.43), ischemic stroke (aHR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.19⁻1.49), and all stroke (aHR = 1.28; 95% CI, 1.15⁻1.43). (all p ≤ 0.001, except otherwise expressed) The authors concluded that AKI-D, even in those who withdrew from temporary dialysis, independently increases the subsequent risk of de novo AF.
Project description:Background and objectivesThe influence of pretransplant dialysis modality on post-transplant outcomes is not clear. This study examined associations of pretransplant dialysis modality with post-transplant outcomes in a large national cohort of kidney transplant recipients.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsLinking the 5-year patient data of a large dialysis organization to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, 12,416 hemodialysis and 2092 peritoneal dialysis patients who underwent first kidney transplantation were identified. Mortality or graft failure and delayed graft function risks were estimated by Cox regression (hazard ratio) and logistic regression (odds ratio), respectively.ResultsRecipients treated with peritoneal dialysis pretransplantation had lower (21.9/1000 patient-years [95% confidence interval: 18.1-26.5]) crude all-cause mortality rate than those recipients treated with hemodialysis (32.8/1000 patient-years [30.8-35.0]). Pretransplant peritoneal dialysis use was associated with 43% lower adjusted all-cause and 66% lower cardiovascular death. Furthermore, pretransplant peritoneal dialysis use was associated with 17% and 36% lower unadjusted death-censored graft failure and delayed graft function risk, respectively. However, after additional adjustment for relevant covariates, pretransplant peritoneal dialysis modality was not a significant predictor of death-censored graft failure delayed graft function, respectively. Similar trends were noted on analyses using a propensity score matched cohort of 2092 pairs of patients.ConclusionsCompared with hemodialysis, patients treated with peritoneal dialysis before transplantation had lower mortality but similar graft loss or delayed graft function. Confounding by residual selection bias cannot be ruled out.
Project description:Atrial fibrillation (AF) is highly prevalent in dialysis patients, however whether its impact differs between patients on haemodialysis (HD) vs. peritoneal dialysis (PD) is unknown. We aimed to compare the association of AF and clinical outcomes in different dialysis modalities. We performed a population based retrospective cohort study, including adult patients who initiated dialysis between the years 2002 and 2015. Clinical, echocardiographic and laboratory data were reviewed and correlated with outcomes in HD vs. PD. During the study period, 1,130 patients began dialysis. Of the 997 patients without AF before dialysis initiation, 17% developed new-onset AF after the initiation of dialysis (17.3% of HD vs. 13.7% of PD patients, p = 0.27). Using multivariate analysis, only enlarged left atrium at dialysis initiation (hazard ratio (HR) 2.82, CI95% 2.00-3.99) and age (HR 1.04, CI95% 1.03-1.06) were significantly associated with AF. Dialysis modality was not a significant predictor of AF in either univariate or multivariate analysis. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that AF is common in dialysis patients irrespective of modality. In our cohort, the risk factors associated with AF were older age and enlarged left atrium. AF was associated with increased rates of heart failure and mortality, but not stroke.
Project description:BackgroundHeart failure (HF) after kidney transplantation is a significant but understudied problem. Pretransplant dialysis modality could influence incident HF risk through differing cardiac stressors. However, whether pretransplant dialysis modality is associated with the development of posttransplant HF is unknown.MethodsWe used the US Renal Data System to assemble a cohort of 27,701 patients who underwent their first kidney transplant in the USA between the years 2005 and 2012 and who had Medicare fee-for-service coverage for >6 months preceding their transplant date. Patients with any HF diagnosis prior to transplant were excluded. Detailed baseline patient characteristics and comorbidities were abstracted. The outcome of interest was de novo posttransplant HF. Pretransplant dialysis modality was defined as the dialysis modality used at the time of transplant. We conducted time-to-event analyses using Cox regression. Death was treated as a competing risk in the study's primary analysis. Graft failure was included as a time-varying covariate.ResultsAmong eligible patients, 81% were treated with hemodialysis prior to transplant, and hemodialysis patients were more likely to be male, had a shorter dialysis vintage, and had more diabetes and vascular disease diagnoses. When adjusted for all available demographic and clinical data, pretransplant treatment with hemodialysis (vs. peritoneal dialysis) was associated with a 19% increased risk in de novo posttransplant HF, with sub-distribution HR 1.19 (95% CI: 1.09-1.29).ConclusionsOur results suggest that choice of pretransplant dialysis modality may impact the development of posttransplant HF.
Project description:Background and objectivesThe relative efficacy and safety of apixaban compared with no anticoagulation have not been studied in patients on maintenance dialysis with atrial fibrillation. We aimed to determine whether apixaban is associated with better clinical outcomes compared with no anticoagulation in this population.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsThis retrospective cohort study used 2012-2015 US Renal Data System data. Patients on maintenance dialysis with incident, nonvalvular atrial fibrillation treated with apixaban (521 patients) were matched for relevant baseline characteristics with patients not treated with any anticoagulant agent (1561 patients) using a propensity score. The primary outcome was hospital admission for a new stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), transient ischemic attack, or systemic thromboembolism. The secondary outcome was fatal or intracranial bleeding. Competing risk survival models were used.ResultsCompared with no anticoagulation, apixaban was not associated with lower incidence of the primary outcome: hazard ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 0.69 to 2.23; P=0.47. A significantly higher incidence of fatal or intracranial bleeding was observed with apixaban compared with no treatment: hazard ratio, 2.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.37 to 5.47; P=0.004. A trend toward fewer ischemic but more hemorrhagic strokes was seen with apixaban compared with no treatment. No significant difference in the composite outcome of myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke was seen with apixaban compared with no treatment. Compared with no anticoagulation, a significantly higher rate of the primary outcome and a significantly higher incidence of fatal or intracranial bleeding and of hemorrhagic stroke were seen in the subgroup of patients treated with the standard apixaban dose (5 mg twice daily) but not in patients who received the reduced apixaban dose (2.5 mg twice daily).ConclusionsIn patients with kidney failure and nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, treatment with apixaban was not associated with a lower incidence of new stroke, transient ischemic attack, or systemic thromboembolism but was associated with a higher incidence of fatal or intracranial bleeding.PodcastThis article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2020_05_29_CJN11650919.mp3.
Project description:ImportanceThe benefits and disadvantages of different pretransplant dialysis modalities and their posttransplant outcomes remain unclear in contemporary kidney transplant care.ObjectiveTo summarize the available evidence of the association of different pretransplant dialysis modalities, including hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD), with posttransplant outcomes.Data sourcesMEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, CINAHL, and gray literature were searched from inception to March 18, 2022 (updated to April 1, 2022), for relevant studies and with no language restrictions.Study selectionRandomized clinical trials and nonrandomized observational (case-control and cohort) studies that investigated the association between pretransplant dialysis modality and posttransplant outcomes regardless of age or donor sources (living or deceased) were abstracted independently by 2 reviewers.Data extraction and synthesisFollowing Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology reporting guidelines, 2 reviewers independently extracted relevant information using a standardized approach. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled adjusted hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio and 95% CI.Main outcomes and measuresPrimary outcomes included all-cause mortality, overall graft failure, death-censored graft failure, and delayed graft function. Secondary outcomes included acute rejection, graft vessel thrombosis, oliguria, de novo heart failure, and new-onset diabetes after transplant.ResultsThe study analyzed 26 nonrandomized studies (1 case-control and 25 cohort), including 269 715 patients (mean recipient age range, 14.5-67.0 years; reported proportions of female individuals, 29.4%-66.9%) whose outcomes associated with pretransplant hemodialysis vs pretransplant PD were compared. No significant difference, with very low certainty of evidence, was observed between pretransplant PD and all-cause mortality (13 studies; n = 221 815; HR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.84-1.01]; P = .08) as well as death-censored graft failure (5 studies; n = 96 439; HR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.85-1.14]; P = .81). However, pretransplant PD was associated with a lower risk for overall graft failure (10 studies; n = 209 287; HR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.92-0.99]; P = .02; very low certainty of evidence) and delayed graft function (6 studies; n = 47 118; odds ratio, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.70-0.76]; P < .001; low certainty of evidence). Secondary outcomes were inconclusive due to few studies with available data.Conclusions and relevanceResults of the study suggest that pretransplant PD is a preferred dialysis modality option during the transition to kidney transplant. Future studies are warranted to address shared decision-making between health care professionals, patients, and caregivers as well as patient preferences.
Project description:BackgroundThe prevalence of severe obesity, often considered a contraindication to peritoneal dialysis (PD), has increased over time. However, mortality has decreased more rapidly in the PD population than the hemodialysis (HD) population in the United States. The association between obesity and clinical outcomes among patients with end-stage kidney disease remains unclear in the current era.Study designHistorical cohort study.Setting & participants15,573 incident PD patients from a large US dialysis organization (2007-2011).PredictorBody mass index (BMI).OutcomesModality longevity, residual renal creatinine clearance, peritonitis, and survival.ResultsHigher BMI was significantly associated with shorter time to transfer to HD therapy (P for trend < 0.001), longer time to kidney transplantation (P for trend < 0.001), and, with borderline significance, more frequent peritonitis-related hospitalization (P for trend = 0.05). Compared with lean patients, obese patients had faster declines in residual kidney function (P for trend < 0.001) and consistently achieved lower total Kt/V over time (P for trend < 0.001) despite greater increases in dialysis Kt/V (P for trend < 0.001). There was a U-shaped association between BMI and mortality, with the greatest survival associated with the BMI range of 30 to < 35kg/m2 in the case-mix adjusted model. Compared with matched HD patients, PD patients had lower mortality in the BMI categories of < 25 and 25 to < 35kg/m2 and had equivalent survival in the BMI category ≥ 35kg/m2 (P for interaction = 0.001 [vs < 25 kg/m2]). This attenuation in survival difference among patients with severe obesity was observed only in patients with diabetes, but not those without diabetes.LimitationsInability to evaluate causal associations. Potential indication bias.ConclusionsWhereas obese PD patients had higher risk for complications than nonobese PD patients, their survival was no worse than matched HD patients.
Project description:Rationale & objectivePatients with kidney failure from racial and ethnic minority groups and older patients have reduced access to the transplant waitlist relative to White and younger patients. Although racial disparities in the waitlisting group have declined after the 2014 kidney allocation system change, whether there is intersectionality of race and age in waitlisting access is unknown.Study designRetrospective cohort study.Setting & participants439,455 non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black US adults initiating dialysis between 2015 and 2019 were identified from the United States Renal Data System, and followed through 2020.ExposuresPatient race and ethnicity (non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black) and age group (18-29, 30-49, 50-64, and 65-80 years).OutcomesPlacement on the United Network for Organ Sharing deceased donor waitlist.Analytical approachAge- and race-stratified waitlisting rates were compared. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, censored for death, examined the association between race and waitlisting, and included interaction term for race and age.ResultsOver a median follow-up period of 1 year, the proportion of non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black patients waitlisted was 20.7% and 20.5%, respectively. In multivariable models, non-Hispanic Black patients were 14% less likely to be waitlisted (aHR, 0.86, 95% CI, 0.77-0.95). Relative differences between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White patients were different by age group. Non-Hispanic Black patients were 27%, 12%, and 20% less likely to be waitlisted than non-Hispanic White patients for ages 18-29 years (aHR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.61-0.86), 50-64 (aHR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80-0.98), and 65-80 years (aHR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.71-0.90), respectively, but differences were attenuated among patients aged 30-49 years (aHR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.77-1.02).LimitationsRace and ethnicity data is physician reported, residual confounding, and analysis is limited to non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black patients.ConclusionsRacial disparities in waitlisting exist between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White individuals and are most pronounced among younger patients with kidney failure. Results suggest that interventions to address inequalities in waitlisting may need to be targeted to younger patients with kidney failure.Plain-language summaryResearch has shown that patients from racial and ethnic minority groups and older patients have reduced access to transplant waitlisting relative to White and younger patients; nevertheless, how age impacts racial disparities in waitlisting is unknown. We compared waitlisting between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White patients with incident kidney failure, within age strata, using registry data for 439,455 US adults starting dialysis (18-80 years) during 2015-2019. Overall, non-Hispanic Black patients were less likely to be waitlisted and relative differences between the two racial groups differed by age. After adjusting for patient-level factors, the largest disparity in waitlisting was observed among adults aged 18-29 years. These results suggest that interventions should target younger adults to reduce disparities in access to kidney transplant waitlisting.
Project description:Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) have an elevated incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and are at increased risk for thromboembolic events. However, these patients are also at increased risk for bleeding and it is unclear whether they benefit from an oral anticoagulant. Point prevalent on July 1, 2015, only ~28% of dialysis patients with AF were on oral anticoagulation. Warfarin was the most commonly used oral anticoagulant, followed by apixaban, while dabigatran and rivaroxaban were rarely used. This article reviews the current evidence regarding each oral anticoagulant especially as they relate to patients with ESKD.