Physical Exercise Improves Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Stage 3-4 Chronic Kidney Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) exhibit a higher probability of having cognitive impairment or dementia than those without CKD. The beneficial effects of physical exercise on cognitive function are known in the general older population, but more research is required in older adults with CKD. METHODS: Eighty-one outpatients (aged ≥65 years) with CKD stage G3-G4 were assessed for eligibility. Among them, 60 were randomized (single-center, unblinded, and stratified) and 53 received the allocated intervention (exercise n = 27, control n = 26). Patients in the exercise group undertook group-exercise training at our facility once weekly and independent exercises at home twice weekly or more, for 24 weeks. Patients in the control group received general care. General and specific cognitive functions (memory, attention, executive, and verbal) were measured, and differences in their scores at baseline and at the 24-week follow-up visit were assessed between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Forty-four patients completed the follow-up at 24 weeks (exercise n = 23, control n = 21). Patients in the exercise group showed significantly greater changes in Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised Logical Memory delayed recall (exercise effect: 2.82, 95% CI: 0.46-5.19, p = 0.03), and immediate and delayed recall (exercise effect: 5.97, 95% CI: 1.13-10.81, p = 0.02) scores than those in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The 24-week exercise intervention significantly improved the memory function in older adults with pre-dialysis CKD. This randomized controlled trial suggests that physical exercise is a useful nonpharmacological strategy for preventing cognitive decline in these patients.

Welfare receipt and the risk of vitamin D deficiency in Japanese patients on maintenance hemodialysis: a cross-sectional, retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is often observed in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis and is associated with significantly increased risk of overall mortality. Despite reports of poor nutrition/intake, vitamin D status among patients on maintenance hemodialysis receiving welfare remains unknown. This study investigated the vitamin D status in welfare recipients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. METHODS: This cross-sectional study investigated vitamin D status among 106 outpatients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis at two medical facilities in Japan. Patients were divided into welfare and non-welfare groups based on their status as of September 2018. Patients were divided into two categories: serum vitamin D deficiency, defined as serum 25(OH)D concentrations < 12 ng/mL, or non-deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency was used as a dependent variable, while welfare receipt was used as the main predictor variable. RESULTS: Mean [± standard deviation] patient age, median [interquartile range] body mass index, and hemodialysis duration were 66.9 [± 10.8] years, 21.5 [19.6, 24.3] kg/m2, and 7.9 [2.9, 12.3] years, respectively. Among 106 patients, 45 were women (42.5%) and 16 (15.1%) were receiving welfare. The welfare group had a higher diabetes prevalence (P = 0.003) and significantly lower median serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations (11.5 [8.7, 14.0] vs. 14.8 [11.2, 19.9] ng/mL, P = 0.005). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that welfare receipt was a significant risk factor for vitamin D deficiency (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 4.41 [1.08, 18.07]). CONCLUSIONS: Welfare recipients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis are at significantly increased risks of vitamin D deficiency compared with patients not receiving welfare.

A case of cerebral infarction during a hemodialysis procedure successfully treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator.

Thrombolytic therapy is an effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke and provides benefits and improvements that lead to better neurological outcomes. However, thrombolytic therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) in hemodialysis (HD) patients is limited because HD patients have a higher risk of bleeding. We report a case of a 75-year-old HD patient who presented with sudden aphasia during HD treatment. She was brought to the hospital for treatment for infarction. Following thrombolytic therapy, we achieved re-opening without complications. To our knowledge, no report has been published describing the patients who had a stroke during a maintenance HD session and were treated with r-tPA successfully. Although the number of HD patients treated with r-tPA is small and requires further investigation, thrombolytic therapy can be an alternative option. After weighing the risks and benefits and assessing each patient carefully, the use of r-tPA should be considered, even in HD patients.

Denosumab for treatment of immobilization-related hypercalcemia in a patient with end-stage renal disease.

The efficacy and safety of denosumab for the treatment of immobilization-related hypercalcemia in end-stage renal disease remain uncertain. We describe the case of a hemodialysis patient with immobilization-related hypercalcemia who was successfully treated with denosumab. A 79-year-old man admitted for hemodialysis after sustaining an acute kidney injury developed immobilization-related hypercalcemia due to the impairment resulting from an acute myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, and catheter-related bloodstream infection. After admission, the patient's corrected serum calcium rose to 12.9 from 8.8 mg/dL. A bisphosphonate (alendronate) was administered, but it was ineffective. Subsequently, treatment with denosumab proved to be effective and his corrected serum calcium level declined to 9.3 mg/dL within 1 week. Hypocalcemia, which is an adverse effect of denosumab, was prevented using active vitamin D and calcium supplementation, and his calcium level stabilized. Thus, our case demonstrates that denosumab is a viable therapeutic option for dialysis patients experiencing immobilization-related hypercalcemia.

Rupture of Subcutaneous Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter by Stretching Exercise: A Case Report.

Rupture of the peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter is rare complication. Here, we report a case of catheter rupture that occurred because of exercise after partial catheter reimplantation.A 66-year-old man with a history of end-stage kidney disease secondary to diabetic nephropathy experienced refractory exit-site and tunnel infection. After the infected parts of the catheter were excised, a partial catheter reimplantation was performed. At the time of that surgery, a presternal location was selected for the new exit site, and a titanium extender was used to connect the two catheters. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 3, but was readmitted for a pericatheter leak 5 days later. Fluoroscopy performed to investigate the cause demonstrated a pericatheter leak from the connecting portion between the titanium extender and the catheter.Surgery performed to repair the leak revealed that the catheter had ruptured. We believe that the cause of the rupture was mechanical stress induced by the patient's stretching exercise program. The PD catheter was made of silicone rubber with high elasticity. Even when such resilient materials are used, we recommend that, to avoid PD catheter rupture after partial reimplantation, clinicians should discourage the patient from stretching excessively.