Race, science and (im)precision medicine

Should secondary pharmacogenomic variants be actively screened and reported when diagnostic genome-wide sequencing is performed in a child?

This white paper was prepared by the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health Regulatory and Ethics Work Stream's Pediatric Task Team to review and provide perspective with respect to ethical, legal, and social issues regarding the return of secondary pharmacogenomic variants in children who have a serious disease or developmental disorder and are undergoing exome or genome sequencing to identify a genetic cause of their condition. We discuss actively searching for and reporting pharmacogenetic/genomic variants in pediatric patients, different methods of returning secondary pharmacogenomic findings to the patient/parents and/or treating clinicians, maintaining these data in the patient's health record over time, decision supports to assist using pharmacogenetic results in future treatment decisions, and sharing information in public databases to improve the clinical interpretation of pharmacogenetic variants identified in other children. We conclude by presenting a series of points to consider for clinicians and policymakers regarding whether, and under what circumstances, routine screening and return of pharmacogenomic variants unrelated to the indications for testing is appropriate in children who are undergoing genome-wide sequencing to assist in the diagnosis of a suspected genetic disease.

A Primer in Precision Nephrology: Optimizing Outcomes in Kidney Health and Disease through Data-Driven Medicine

This year marks the 63rd anniversary of the International Society of Nephrology, which signaled nephrology's emergence as a modern medical discipline. In this article, we briefly trace the course of nephrology's history to show a clear arc in its evolution-of increasing resolution in nephrological data-an arc that is converging with computational capabilities to enable precision nephrology. In general, precision medicine refers to tailoring treatment to the individual characteristics of patients. For an operational definition, this tailoring takes the form of an optimization, in which treatments are selected to maximize a patient's expected health with respect to all available data. Because modern health data are large and high resolution, this optimization process requires computational intervention, and it must be tuned to the contours of specific medical disciplines. An advantage of this operational definition for precision medicine is that it allows us to better understand what precision medicine means in the context of a specific medical discipline. The goal of this article was to demonstrate how to instantiate this definition of precision medicine for the field of nephrology. Correspondingly, the goal of precision nephrology was to answer two related questions: ( 1 ) How do we optimize kidney health with respect to all available data? and ( 2 ) How do we optimize general health with respect to kidney data?

Filling out the race/skin color item in the patient identification form: aspects of its implementation in a university hospital

Abstract Thirteen years after the publication of the National Policy for the Comprehensive Health of the Black Population (PNSIPN, Política Nacional da Saúde Integral da População Negra), filling out the race/skin color question in the patient identification form remains a challenge. Authors have focused on the need to integrate knowledge from the science of implementation into public policies. The aim of this article is to describe and analyze the implementation of the collection of the race/skin color item carried out by the professionals responsible for the registration of patients at a university hospital in the city of São Paulo. This was an exploratory and descriptive study, structured from three constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): intervention, internal scenario and characteristics of individuals. Most records of race/skin color in the observed institution are made by heteroidentification. Based on the CFIR constructs, aspects identified as obstacles and facilitators are identified. The implementation of the collection of the race/skin color item by self-declaration, as provided for in the PNSIPN and in Ordinance n. 344/2017, is still incipient and depends mainly on organizational changes, which can favor its effectiveness.

Filling out the race/skin color item in the patient identification form: aspects of its implementation in a university hospital

Thirteen years after the publication of the National Policy for the Comprehensive Health of the Black Population (PNSIPN, Política Nacional da Saúde Integral da População Negra), filling out the race/skin color question in the patient identification form remains a challenge. Authors have focused on the need to integrate knowledge from the science of implementation into public policies. The aim of this article is to describe and analyze the implementation of the collection of the race/skin color item carried out by the professionals responsible for the registration of patients at a university hospital in the city of São Paulo. This was an exploratory and descriptive study, structured from three constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): intervention, internal scenario and characteristics of individuals. Most records of race/skin color in the observed institution are made by heteroidentification. Based on the CFIR constructs, aspects identified as obstacles and facilitators are identified. The implementation of the collection of the race/skin color item by self-declaration, as provided for in the PNSIPN and in Ordinance n. 344/2017, is still incipient and depends mainly on organizational changes, which can favor its effectiveness.

Removing Race from eGFR calculations: Implications for Urologic Care

Equations estimating the glomerular filtration rate are important clinical tools in detecting and managing kidney disease. Urologists extensively use these equations in clinical decision making. For example, the estimated glomerular function rate is used when considering the type of urinary diversion following cystectomy, selecting systemic chemotherapy in managing urologic cancers, and deciding the type of cross-sectional imaging in diagnosing or staging urologic conditions. However, these equations, while widely accepted, are imprecise and adjust for race which is a social, not a biologic construct. The recent killings of unarmed Black Americans in the US have amplified the discussion of racism in healthcare and has prompted institutions to reconsider the role of race in estimation of glomerular filtration rate equations and raced-based medicine. Urologist should be aware of the consequences of removing race from these equations, potential alternatives, and how these changes may affect Black patients receiving urologic care.

Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease

Social determinants of health (SDoH), which encompass the economic, social, environmental, and psychosocial factors that influence health, play a significant role in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors as well as CVD morbidity and mortality. The COVID-19 pandemic and the current social justice movement sparked by the death of George Floyd have laid bare long-existing health inequities in our society driven by SDoH. Despite a recent focus on these structural drivers of health disparities, the impact of SDoH on cardiovascular health and CVD outcomes remains understudied and incompletely understood. To further investigate the mechanisms connecting SDoH and CVD, and ultimately design targeted and effective interventions, it is important to foster interdisciplinary efforts that incorporate translational, epidemiological, and clinical research in examining SDoH-CVD relationships. This review aims to facilitate research coordination and intervention development by providing an evidence-based framework for SDoH rooted in the lived experiences of marginalized populations. Our framework highlights critical structural/socioeconomic, environmental, and psychosocial factors most strongly associated with CVD and explores several of the underlying biologic mechanisms connecting SDoH to CVD pathogenesis, including excess stress hormones, inflammation, immune cell function, and cellular aging. We present landmark studies and recent findings about SDoH in our framework, with careful consideration of the constructs and measures utilized. Finally, we provide a roadmap for future SDoH research focused on individual, clinical, and policy approaches directed towards developing multilevel community-engaged interventions to promote cardiovascular health.

Sex is a defining feature of neuroimaging phenotypes in major brain disorders

Sex is a biological variable that contributes to individual variability in brain structure and behavior. Neuroimaging studies of population-based samples have identified normative differences in brain structure between males and females, many of which are exacerbated in psychiatric and neurological conditions. Still, sex differences in MRI outcomes are understudied, particularly in clinical samples with known sex differences in disease risk, prevalence, and expression of clinical symptoms. Here we review the existing literature on sex differences in adult brain structure in normative samples and in 14 distinct psychiatric and neurological disorders. We discuss commonalities and sources of variance in study designs, analysis procedures, disease subtype effects, and the impact of these factors on MRI interpretation. Lastly, we identify key problems in the neuroimaging literature on sex differences and offer potential recommendations to address current barriers and optimize rigor and reproducibility. In particular, we emphasize the importance of large-scale neuroimaging initiatives such as the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analyses consortium, the UK Biobank, Human Connectome Project, and others to provide unprecedented power to evaluate sex-specific phenotypes in major brain diseases.

Antimicrobial Dosing in Specific Populations and Novel Clinical Methodologies: Kidney Function

Kidney function is a common parameter used to define antimicrobial drug dosage and frequency of administration. Several methods exist to measure kidney function but for pragmatic reasons rely on estimated kidney function equations based on the endogenous biomarker serum creatinine and common clinical variables. Current regulatory guidance on the design of studies in patients with abnormal kidney function in the United States also recommend consideration of estimated kidney function for this reason. Over the past few decades, alternate endogenous biomarkers, administration of exogenous biomarkers for noninvasive measurement, use of probe substrates to characterize individual kidney drug clearance pathways, modifications to conventional equations to account for time-varying clearance, and improved clinical trial modeling and simulation to factor in these uncertainties have occurred. Furthermore, major changes to kidney replacement therapy delivery in the outpatient, inpatient, and at-home setting are occurring. Antimicrobial drug dose adjustment in this diverse population is complex and in a state of flux due to technical innovations. Over-reliance on kidney function estimates to guide drug dosing in patients with infectious diseases can bias underdosing especially among the acutely ill. A holistic approach to drug dose adjustment in patients with abnormal kidney function is necessary to optimize clinical outcomes.