Treatment and Control of Hypertension Among Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease, 2011 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension frequently accompanies chronic kidney disease (CKD) as etiology and sequela. We examined contemporary trends in hypertension treatment and control in a national sample of adults with CKD. METHODS: We evaluated 5% cross-sectional samples of adults with CKD between 2011 and 2019 in the Veterans Health Administration. We defined CKD as a sustained estimated glomerular filtration rate value <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g. The main outcomes were blood pressure (BP) control, defined as a systolic BP <140 mm Hg and a diastolic BP <90 mm Hg based on the mean of monthly BP measurements, and prescriptions for antihypertensive medications. RESULTS: The annual samples ranged between n=22 110 and n=33 039 individuals, with a mean age of 72 years, 96% of whom were men. Between 2011 and 2014, the age-adjusted proportion of adults with controlled BP declined from 78.0% to 72.2% (P value for linear trend, <0.001), reached a nadir of 71.0% in 2015, and then increased to 72.9% by 2019 (P value for linear trend, <0.001). Among adults with BP above goal, the age-adjusted proportion who did not receive antihypertensive treatment increased throughout the decade from 18.8% to 21.6%, and the age-adjusted proportion who received ≥3 antihypertensive medications decreased from 41.8% to 36.3%. Prescriptions for first-line antihypertensive agents also decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Among adults with CKD treated in the Veterans Health Administration, the proportion with controlled BP declined between 2011 and 2015 followed by a modest increase, coinciding with fewer prescriptions for antihypertensive medications.

Medical Record Documentation of Goals-of-Care Discussions Among Older Veterans With Incident Kidney Failure.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Elicitation and documentation of patient preferences is at the core of shared decision making and is particularly important among patients with high anticipated mortality. The extent to which older patients with incident kidney failure undertake such discussions with their providers is unknown and its characterization was the focus of this study. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of veterans 67 years and older with incident kidney failure receiving care from the US Veterans Health Administration between 2005 and 2010. EXPOSURES: Demographic and facility characteristics, as well as predicted 6-month mortality risk after dialysis initiation and documentation of resuscitation preferences. OUTCOMES: Documented discussions of dialysis treatment and supportive care. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: We reviewed medical records over the 2 years before incident kidney failure and up to 1 year afterward to ascertain the frequency and timing of documented discussions about dialysis treatment, supportive care, and resuscitation. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with these documented discussions. RESULTS: The cohort of 821 veterans had a mean age of 80.9±7.2 years, and 37.2% had a predicted 6-month mortality risk>20% with dialysis. Documented discussions addressing dialysis treatment and resuscitation were present in 55.6% and 77.1% of patients, respectively. Those addressing supportive care were present in 32.4%. The frequency of documentation varied by mortality risk and whether the patient ultimately started dialysis. In adjusted analyses, the frequency and pattern of documentation were more strongly associated with geographic location and receipt of outpatient nephrology care than with patient demographic or clinical characteristics. LIMITATIONS: Documentation may not fully reflect the quality and content of discussions, and generalizability to nonveteran patients is limited. CONCLUSIONS: Among older veterans with incident kidney failure, discussions of dialysis treatment are decoupled from other aspects of advance care planning and are suboptimally documented, even among patients at high risk for mortality.

Plasma pseudouridine levels reflect body size in children on hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Dialysis in children as well as adults is prescribed to achieve a target spKt/Vurea, where Vurea is the volume of distribution of urea. Waste solute production may however be more closely correlated with body surface area (BSA) than Vurea which rises in proportion with body weight. Plasma levels of waste solutes may thus be higher in smaller patients when targeting spKt/Vurea since they have higher BSA relative to body weight. This study measured levels of pseudouridine (PU), a novel marker solute whose production is closely proportional to BSA, to test whether prescription of dialysis to a target spKt/Vurea results in higher plasma levels of PU in smaller children. METHODS: PU and urea nitrogen (ureaN) were measured in plasma and dialysate at the midweek hemodialysis session in 20 pediatric patients, with BSA ranging from 0.65-1.87m2. Mathematical modeling was employed to estimate solute production rates and average plasma solute levels. RESULTS: The dialytic clearance (Kd) of PU was proportional to that of ureaN (average KdPU/KdUreaN 0.69 ± 0.13, r2 0.84, p < 0.001). Production of PU rose in proportion with BSA (r2 0.57, p < 0.001). The pretreatment plasma level of PU was significantly higher in smaller children (r2 0.20, p = 0.051) while the pretreatment level of ureaN did not vary with size. CONCLUSIONS: Prescribing dialysis based on urea kinetics may leave uremic solutes at higher levels in small children. Measurement of a solute produced proportional to BSA may provide a better index of dialysis adequacy than measurement of urea.

Receipt of Nephrology Care and Clinical Outcomes Among Veterans With Advanced CKD.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines recommend referral to nephrology when estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decreases to <30mL/min/1.73m2; however, evidence for benefits of nephrology care are mixed. STUDY DESIGN: Observational cohort using landmark analysis. SETTINGS & PARTICIPANTS: A national cohort of veterans with advanced chronic kidney disease, defined as an outpatient eGFR≤30mL/min/1.73m2 for January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010, and a prior eGFR<60mL/min/1.73m2, using administrative and laboratory data from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the US Renal Data System. PREDICTOR: Receipt and frequency of outpatient nephrology care over 12 months. OUTCOMES: Survival and progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD; receipt of dialysis or kidney transplantation) were the primary outcomes. In addition, control of associated clinical parameters over 12 months were intermediate outcomes. RESULTS: Of 39,669 patients included in the cohort, 14,983 (37.8%) received nephrology care. Older age, heart failure, dementia, depression, and rapidly declining kidney function were independently associated with the absence of nephrology care. During a mean follow-up of 2.9 years, 14,719 (37.1%) patients died and 4,310 (10.9%) progressed to ESRD. In models adjusting for demographics, comorbid conditions, and trajectory of kidney function, nephrology care was associated with lower risk for death (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.85-0.91), but higher risk for ESRD (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.38-1.58). Among patients with clinical parameters outside guideline recommendations at cohort entry, a significantly higher adjusted proportion of patients who received nephrology care had improvement in control of hemoglobin, potassium, albumin, calcium, and phosphorus concentrations compared with those who did not receive nephrology care. LIMITATIONS: May not be generalizable to nonveterans. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, nephrology care was associated with lower mortality, but was not associated with lower risk for progression to ESRD.

Pemetrexed-Induced Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus.

Pemetrexed is an approved antimetabolite agent, now widely used for treating locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer. Although no electrolyte abnormalities are described in the prescribing information for this drug, several case reports have noted nephrogenic diabetes insipidus with associated acute kidney injury. We present a case of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus without severely reduced kidney function and propose a mechanism for the isolated finding. Severe hypernatremia can lead to encephalopathy and osmotic demyelination, and our report highlights the importance of careful monitoring of electrolytes and kidney function in patients with lung cancer receiving pemetrexed.

A survey of views and practice patterns of dialysis medical directors toward end-of-life decision making for patients with end-stage renal disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with end-stage renal disease report infrequent end-of-life discussions, and nephrology trainees report feeling unprepared for end-of-life decision making, but the views of dialysis medical directors have not been studied. AIM: Our objective is to understand dialysis medical directors' views and practice patterns on end-of-life decision making for patients with ESRD. DESIGN: We administered questionnaires to dialysis medical directors during medical director meetings of three different dialysis organizations in 2013. Survey questions corresponded to recommendations from the Renal Physicians Association clinical practice guidelines on initiation and withdrawal of dialysis. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: There were 121 medical director respondents from 28 states. RESULTS: The majority of respondents felt "very prepared" (66%) or "somewhat prepared" (29%) to participate in end-of-life decisions and most (80%) endorsed a model of shared decision making. If asked to do so, 70% of the respondents provided prognostic information "often" or "nearly always." For patients with a poor prognosis, 36% of respondents would offer a time-limited trial of dialysis "often" or "nearly always", while 56% of respondents would suggest withdrawal from dialysis "often" or "nearly always" for those with a poor prognosis currently receiving dialysis therapy. Patient resistance and fear of taking away hope were the most commonly cited barriers to end-of-life discussions. CONCLUSION: Views and reported practice patterns of medical directors are consistent with clinical practice guidelines for end-of-life decision making for patients with end-stage renal disease but inconsistent with patient perceptions.

Epidemiology and Public Health Concerns of CKD in Older Adults.

CKD is increasingly common in older adults. Estimating the glomerular filtration rate can be challenging in this population, with sarcopenia affecting the accuracy of various formulae. Competing risks of death influence the risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease. In managing CKD in this population, one must take into consideration other comorbidities including assessment of geriatric syndromes. More research is still needed to guide medical management in this heterogeneous population.