ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) became a new epidemic of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Diabetic nephropathy is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal failure as a result of the diabetes epidemic worldwide. AIM: The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of CKD in the Republic of Macedonia and its association with diabetes mellitus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a part of a study conducted in 2006 in terms of screening for early detection of kidney disease. It was a cross-sectional study based on a random sample of patients aged > 20, consecutively consulting their primary physician for any cause. Fifty physicians throughout the country were included in the study. A total of 2637 patients have been analyzed based on integrity data. GFR was estimated using corrected values of serum creatinine and calculating kidney function by the Cockroft & Gault formula, adjusted for body surface using the Gehan & George formula. Patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 60 ml/min were considered as having CKD. Blood pressure, body weight, height, serum creatinine, glucose, hemoglobin, hematocrit, urinalysis and medical history for presence of cardiovascular diseases or diabetes were also assessed. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 45.97 ± 16.55 SD and 17.97% were older than 60. Regarding gender, 44.14% were males. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 13.9%. Subjects with CKD (eGFR less than 60 ml/min) were 7.53% of the total. Subjects aged 60 or above, had 20 times higher risk of having CKD (eGFR less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)). Out of the total group of subjects, 13.9% had diabetes mellitus and they had 3.13 times higher risk of having CKD stage 3-5 (eGFR less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) when compared to non-diabetics. The results showed that diabetes was significantly more associated with lower eGFR (less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) in younger subjects (age less than 60) compared to older ones (odds ratio 3.29 versus 1.21). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that chronic kidney disease is frequent in the Republic of Macedonia and is associated with older age and diabetes. Diabetes had a significantly stronger association with CKD at younger age.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Besides the conventional therapy for heart failure, the diuretics, cardiac glycosides and ACE-inhibitors, current pharmacotherapy includes beta-blockers, mainly because of their pathophysiological mechanisms upon heart remodeling. AIM: The study objective was to assess the cardiovascular mortality in the beta-blocker therapy group and to correlate it with the mortality in the control group as well as to correlate the combined outcome of death and/or hospitalization for cardiovascular reason between the two groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 113 chronic heart failure patients followed up for a period of 18 months. The therapy group received conventional therapy plus the target dose of beta blockers, and the control group received the conventional therapy only. The therapy group was divided in three separate subgroups in terms of the type of beta-blocker (Metoprolol subgroup, Bisoprolol and Carvedilol subgroup). To compare the mortality and the combined outcome, the RRR (relative risk reduction) and NNT (number needed to treat) were used, as well as the survival analysis by Kaplan-Meier. RESULTS: The results showed the following: in regards of the cardiovascular mortality, the relative risk for death in the therapy group was 34%, which, though statistically not significant, is of great clinical significance. In regards of the combined outcome (death and/or number of hospitalizations) the results showed a RRR of 40% in the therapy group compared to the control group, which is statistically highly significant. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that patients with stable chronic heart failure, treated with optimal doses of beta-blockers, show a significant reduction of the risk from death as well as combined outcome (death and/or number of hospitalizations).
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hypercalcemia is a common manifestation in clinical practice and occurs as a result of primary hyperparathyroidism, malignancy, milk-alkali syndrome, hyper or hypothyroidism, sarcoidosis and other known and unknown causes. Patients with milk-alkali syndrome typically are presented with renal failure, hypercalcemia, and metabolic alkalosis caused by the ingestion of calcium and absorbable alkali. This syndrome is caused by high intake of milk and sodium bicarbonate. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a 28-year old male admitted to hospital with a one-month history of nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, increased blood pressure and worsening of renal function with hypercalcemia. His serum PTH level was almost undetectable; he had mild alkalosis, renal failure with eGFR of 42 ml/min, anemia, hypertension and abnormal ECG with shortened QT interval and ST elevation in V1-V4. He had a positive medical history for calcium-containing antacids intake and after ruling out primary hyperparathyroidism, malignancy, multiple myelomas, sarcoidosis, and thyroid dysfunction, it seemed plausible to diagnose him as having the milk-alkali syndrome. CONCLUSION: Although milk-alkali syndrome currently may be more probably a result of calcium and vitamin D intake in postmenopausal women, or in elderly men with reduced kidney function taking calcium-containing medications, one should not exclude the possibility of its appearance in younger patients taking calcium-containing medications and consider it a serious condition taking into account its possibility of inducing renal insufficiency.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Intradialytic hypertension with a prevalence of 15% among hemodialysis patients is with unknown pathophysiology, demographic, laboratoiy and clinical characteristic of patients, and it's influence on longtenn clinical effects (cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, rate of hospitalization). The aim of the study is to present the clinical, laboratoiy and demographic characteristics of patients with intradialytic hypertension in our dialysis center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Out of 110 hemodialysis patients, 17 patients (15,45%) had intradialytic hypertension - started at a systolic pressure greater than 140 nun Hg or had an increase in systolic pressure more than 10 mm Hg during the session, and 17 patients were nonnotensive or had a drop in blood pressure dining the dialysis. HD were performed 3 times per week with a duration of 4-5 hours, on machines with controlled ultrafiltration and high flux syntetic membrane (polyetersulfon) sterilized with gamma rays. A dialysate with standard electrolytes content was used (Na(+) 138 mmol/L, K(+) 2,0 mmol/L, Ca(++) 1,5 mmol/L, Mg (+)1,0 mmol/L, CH(3)COO(-) 3,0 mmol/L, Cl -110 mmol/1, HCO(3)(-) 35 mmol/L). We analysed the following demographic and clinical characteristics: gender, age, BMI, dialysis vintage, vascular acces, cardiovascular comorbidity (cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiac disease, peripheral artery disease, heart valve disease), number and type of antihypertensive drugs, weekly dose of erythropoesis - stimulating agent, standard monthly, three and six months laboratoiy analyzes, and sp Kt/V and PCR. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical software SPSS 17.0. RESULTS: hi both groups men were predominant (IDH group 88.23%, control group 64.07%). The IDH group was older (59.00 ± 7.64 versus 49.00 ± 13.91, p = 0.314) and with lower BMI (p = 0.246) compared to the control group. The DDH patients had significantly lower serum sodium and higher sodium gradient (135.75 ± 2.03 versus 137.33 ± 1.97, p = 0.042; 2.25 ± 1.98 versus 0.66 ± 1.44, p = 0.0267, respestively). All other laboratoiy findings showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups. The IDH group had significantly higher interdialysis weight gain and less effective ultrafiltration individually at each dialysis session compared to the control group (2.23 ± 0.866 versus 2.37 ± 0.69, p = 0.011; 3.87 ± 1,26 versus 3.56 ± 1.18, p = 0.025, respectively). The systolic and mean arterial pressure after the HD were statistically higher in the IDH group. CONCLUSION: Older age, lower BMI, borderline hyponatremia, higher sodium gradient and smaller ultrafiltration rate are the clinical characteristics of patients with intradialytic hypertension.
