Advanced atherosclerosis in predialysis patients with chronic renal failure

Patterns of coronary artery disease trends in patients with nephrotic syndrome: A national inpatient study

BACKGROUND

Individuals with nephrotic syndrome (NS) are thought to have elevated cardiovascular risk because of a known association with hyperlipidemia. Unfortunately, no studies have compared the cardiovascular risk profiles of individual nephrotic syndromes. This study explores the prevalence and patterns of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with different types of NS, which may aid in developing risk reduction strategies.

METHODS

This retrospective study queried data from the National Inpatient Sample database spanning 2016-2020 and included patients over the age of 18 years with minimal change disease (MCD), membranous nephropathy (MN), and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). We analyzed the prevalence and trends of hyperlipidemia and CAD in the study population.

RESULTS

Of the 15,025 cohort, there were 3625 (24.1%) MCD, 4160 (27.7%) MN, and 7315 (48.7%) FSGS. Patients with MN were found to be older with a higher prevalence of hyperlipidemia and CAD compared to other groups. The odds of developing CAD when adjusting for confounding factors were increased in FSGS (adjusted odds [aOR] 1.570, 95% CI 1.406-1.753, p < 0.001) while reduced in MCD (aOR 0.671, 95% CI 0.580-0.777, p < 0.001) and MN (aOR 0.782, 95% CI 0.698-0.876, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The divergent results of the different NS types highlight the need for targeted research to better understand and characterize the distinct cardiovascular risk profiles inherent in each type of nephrotic disease for risk stratification.

Exploring the Relationship Between Serum Phosphate Levels and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Correlational Analysis

Background Compelling observational data suggest that heightened levels of fasting blood phosphate are linked to a higher likelihood of cardiovascular disease, spanning across both the general populace and individuals grappling with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to explore the possible correlation between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and blood phosphate levels among those afflicted with chronic renal dysfunction. Objective The primary goal of this study is to determine the potential association between blood phosphate levels and CIMT in patients with CKD. Methodology In the department of nephrology, prospective research was conducted among patients who had a history of CKD. A total of 30 patients were included, with 20 males and 10 females. Every case had a thorough physical examination and history. Every patient underwent a laboratory evaluation, which included measurements of the CIMT and renal function testing. At a distance of 1 cm from the carotid bulb, the CIMT was measured using B-mode ultrasonography. After compilation, the data were examined. Results The majority of the patients, according to this study, were male and over 50 years old. The Stage II patients in the study had a higher mean systolic blood pressure; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Patients with Stage V (D) disease exhibited higher diastolic blood pressure, but not statistically significant. An increase in the mean serum creatinine level that was statistically significant was linked to Stage V (D) renal disease. A higher mean blood urea was linked to Stage V (D) sickness; however, this relationship was not statistically significant. There was no statistical difference in the mean serum calcium levels between the different stages of renal disease. Higher mean blood phosphate levels were linked to Stage III renal disease, but not in a statistically meaningful way. Although it was higher in Stage IV kidney disease, the mean CIMT was not statistically significant between the stages of renal illness. Conclusions Although a positive correlation was shown, a direct relationship between serum phosphate levels was not established by this investigation. The severity of renal disease has been demonstrated to correlate with elevated serum phosphate levels.

Association of cervical atherosclerosis on Doppler ultrasonography and postoperative delirium in patients undergoing spinal surgery: a single-center, retrospective, observational study

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the association between cervical atherosclerosis on Doppler ultrasonography and postoperative delirium (POD) in patients undergoing spinal surgery.

METHODS

In this retrospective observational study using prospectively collected data, 295 consecutive patients aged > 50 years underwent spine surgery at a single institution between March 2015 and February 2021. Cervical atherosclerosis was defined as the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA) being ≥ 1.1 mm on pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasonography. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed with the prevalence of postoperative delirium as a dependent variable. Age, sex, body mass index, medical history, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS), CHADS2 score (an assessment score for stroke), instrumentation, duration of surgery, blood loss, and cervical arteriosclerosis were the independent variables.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven patients of 295 (9.2%) developed delirium postoperatively. Forty-one (13.9%) of the 295 patients had cervical atherosclerosis. Their univariate analyses showed that age (P = 0.001), hypertension (P = 0.016), cancer (P = 0.046), antiplatelet agent use (P < 0.001), ASA-PS ≥ 3 (P < 0.001), CHADS2 score (P < 0.001), cervical atherosclerosis (P = 0.008), and right CCA-IMT (P = 0.007) were significantly associated with POD. However, multivariate logistic regression analyses showed older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.109; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.035-1.188; P = 0.03) and antiplatelet agent use (OR, 3.472; 95% CI 1.221-9.870; P = 0.020) to be significantly associated with POD.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a significant association between POD and the prevalence of cervical atherosclerosis using the univariate logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that older age and antiplatelet agent use were independently associated with POD.

Significance of Levocarnitine Treatment in Dialysis Patients

Carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid derivative that is involved in the transport of long-chain fatty acids to the mitochondrial matrix. There, these substrates undergo β-oxidation, producing energy. The major sources of carnitine are dietary intake, although carnitine is also endogenously synthesized in the liver and kidney. However, in patients on dialysis, serum carnitine levels progressively fall due to restricted dietary intake and deprivation of endogenous synthesis in the kidney. Furthermore, serum-free carnitine is removed by hemodialysis treatment because the molecular weight of carnitine is small (161 Da) and its protein binding rates are very low. Therefore, the dialysis procedure is a major cause of carnitine deficiency in patients undergoing hemodialysis. This deficiency may contribute to several clinical disorders in such patients. Symptoms of dialysis-related carnitine deficiency include erythropoiesis-stimulating agent-resistant anemia, myopathy, muscle weakness, and intradialytic muscle cramps and hypotension. However, levocarnitine administration might replenish the free carnitine and help to increase carnitine levels in muscle. This article reviews the previous research into levocarnitine therapy in patients on maintenance dialysis for the treatment of renal anemia, cardiac dysfunction, dyslipidemia, and muscle and dialytic symptoms, and it examines the efficacy of the therapeutic approach and related issues.

Chronic kidney disease, atherosclerotic plaque characteristics on carotid magnetic resonance imaging, and cardiovascular outcomes

Background

It is unclear whether faster progression of atherosclerosis explains the higher risk of cardiovascular events in CKD. The objectives of this study were to 1. Characterize the associations of CKD with presence and morphology of atherosclerotic plaques on carotid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 2. Examine the associations of baseline CKD and carotid atherosclerotic plaques with subsequent cardiovascular events.

Methods

In a subgroup (N = 465) of Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial.

(SPRINT) participants, we measured carotid plaque presence and morphology at baseline and after 30-months with MRI. We examined the associations of CKD (baseline eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m²) with progression of carotid plaques and the SPRINT cardiovascular endpoint.

Results

One hundred and ninety six (42%) participants had CKD. Baseline eGFR in the non-CKD and CKD subgroups were 77 ± 14 and 49 ± 8 ml/min/1.73 m², respectively. Lipid rich necrotic-core plaque was present in 137 (29.5%) participants. In 323 participants with both baseline and follow-up MRI measurements of maximum wall thickness, CKD was not associated with progression of maximum wall thickness (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.07, p = 0.082). In 96 participants with necrotic core plaque at baseline and with a valid follow-up MRI, CKD was associated with lower odds of progression of necrotic core plaque (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.95, p = 0.039). There were 28 cardiovascular events over 1764 person-years of follow-up. In separate Cox models, necrotic core plaque (HR 2.59, 95% CI 1.15 to 5.85) but not plaque defined by maximum wall thickness or presence of a plaque component (HR 1.79, 95% CI 0.73 to 4.43) was associated with cardiovascular events. Independent of necrotic core plaque, CKD (HR 3.35, 95% CI 1.40 to 7.99) was associated with cardiovascular events.

Conclusions

Presence of necrotic core in carotid plaque rather than the presence of plaque per se was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. We did not find CKD to be associated with faster progression of necrotic core plaques, although both were independently associated with cardiovascular events. Thus, CKD may contribute to cardiovascular disease principally via mechanisms other than atherosclerosis such as arterial media calcification or stiffening.

Trial Registration

NCT01475747, registered on November 21, 2011.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12882-021-02260-x.

Cervical arteriosclerosis is associated with preoperative clinical symptoms in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy

PURPOSE

This study aims to clarify the association between cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) and cervical arteriosclerosis using ultrasonography that comprehensively includes spinal cord stenosis.

METHODS

Eighty-two consecutive patients aged over 60 years who underwent spine surgery were divided into those with CSM (n = 31; CSM group) and those with lumbar spinal stenosis without cervical myelopathy (n = 51; LSS group). Maximum spinal cord compression (MSCC) was evaluated for cervical stenosis severity using magnetic resonance (MR) images. The intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA) and pulsatility index (PI) of the bilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) and vertebral artery (VA) were evaluated for cervical arteriosclerosis using pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasonography. Symptom severity was evaluated using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between the JOA score and MSCC or IMT and PI in each group. Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were conducted with the JOA score as a dependent variable and age, sex, body mass index, cervical arteriosclerosis assessment, and MSCC as independent variables.

RESULTS

Bilateral IMT and left-side ICA-PI were significantly negatively correlated with JOA scores in the CSM group (Right-CCA-IMT: R =  - 0.412, Left-IMT: R =  - 0.549, Left-ICA -PI: R =  - 0.205, P < 0.05), but not in the LSS group. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that CCA-IMT was the strongest independent factor associated with the preoperative JOA score.

CONCLUSIONS

Cervical arteriosclerosis was associated with preoperative clinical symptoms in CSM patients.

Oxidative Stress and Inflammation as Predictors of Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in Hemodialysis Patients: The DREAM Cohort

Aim: Both oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The serum level of derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) is a measure of the total amount of hydroperoxides serving as a marker of oxidative stress. We investigated whether d-ROMs could predict the clinical outcomes in hemodialysis patients and whether the associations of d-ROMs with the outcomes are independent of a marker of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP).

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study in hemodialysis patients. The key exposures were the serum levels of d-ROMs and CRP. The outcome measures were all-cause mortality and new CVD events.

Results: A total of 517 patients were analyzed. d-ROMs correlated positively with CRP. During follow-up for 5 years, 107 patients died, and 190 patients experienced new CVD events. In the Kaplan–Meier analyses, both higher d-ROMs and higher CRP levels predicted higher risks for mortality and CVD events. By Cox proportional-hazard regression analysis adjusted for potential confounders excluding CRP, d-ROMs exhibited a significant association with all-cause mortality, but this association was no longer significant after further adjustment for CRP. Using the same model, CRP exhibited a significant association with all-cause mortality, but this association was no longer significant after further adjustment for d-ROMs. When we analyzed new CVD events as the outcome, CRP was a significant predictor, whereas the level of d-ROMs was not.

Conclusions: Although d-ROMs predicted mortality and CVD events in unadjusted models, the associations of d-ROMs with these outcomes were not independent of CRP. Oxidative stress and inflammation appear to share common causal pathways.

The Relationship between Carotid and Femoral Artery Intima-Media Thickness and Histopathologic Grade of Atherosclerosis in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Variability in the grade of atherosclerosis among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) could affect the ultrasound measurements of intima media thickness (IMT). We sought to investigate IMTs of carotid (cIMT) and femoral (fIMT) arteries in CKD patients and assess the degree of their correlation with histopathological atherosclerosis.

METHODS

Eighty-nine out of 99 enrolled subjects completed this study. The subjects were divided into 3 groups: 34 patients with CKD (Case group), 31 with coronary artery disease undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG, positive control group), and 24 healthy kidney donors (negative control group). For histopathological assessment of atherosclerosis, arterial tissue samples were obtained from the patients in each study group. The cIMT and fIMTs were measured by ultrasonography.

RESULTS

Histopathological atherosclerosis was present in 82.3, 100, and 20.8% of CKD, CABG, and donor groups respectively (p < 0.001). CKD patients had higher values of cIMT and fIMT than the donor group (p = 0.01 and 0.004, respectively). cIMT was positively correlated with the grade of atherosclerosis in the CKD group only (p < 0.001), while fIMT was correlated with the grade of atherosclerosis in both CKD and donor groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.009 respectively). In CKD patients, cIMT >0.65 mm and femoral values >0.57 mm predicted the presence of histopathological atherosclerosis with sensitivities of 96 and 92% respectively.

CONCLUSION

Higher values of cIMT and fIMT in CKD patients are associated with higher rates and degrees of histopathological atherosclerosis. Additionally, when compared to fIMT, cIMT has a higher sensitivity for detecting atherosclerosis in CKD patients.

Reverse epidemiology of elevated blood pressure among chronic hemodialysis black patients with stroke: a historical cohort study

Background

Stroke is the third leading cause of cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients. The objective of this study was to assess the extent of stroke in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Methods

Historical cohort of patients enrolled in two hemodialysis (HD) centers from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011, including 191 patients (mean age 52 years, 68% men). Incidence curves and survival time analysis between the first day of HD and the end of the study were described by the Kaplan-Meier method. Independent stroke predictors were identified by multiple logistic regression analysis. P < 0.05 defined the level of statistical significance.

Results

12 incident stroke were recorded during the study period, with 1622.1 person-months (PM), a stroke incidence rate of 7.4 cases per 1000 PM (95% CI = 7.35–7.44) at the point date. The incidence of stroke at 6 months, 12 months and 24 months was 9.8%, 11.9% and 13%, respectively. Only the absence of arterial hypertension (RR = 5.7, 95% CI: 1.52–21.42) emerged as an independent determinant of stroke.

Conclusion

The high incidence of stroke in Kinshasa HD centers is partially explained by reverse epidemiology. Efforts must be made to understand this phenomenon in order to reduce its impact.

Association of High-Density Lipoprotein Subclasses with Chronic Kidney Disease Progression, Atherosclerosis, and Klotho

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis is often a complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) because of dyslipidemia and CKD-mineral and bone disorder. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are grouped into various subclasses composed of multiple proteins and lipids, and their transformation is altered in CKD. We investigated the roles of lipoprotein subclasses in CKD progression, and atherosclerosis, and the relationships with Klotho and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 23.

METHODS

Seventy-one CKD patients were enrolled in this prospective cohort study in Japan. The proportions of cholesterol level to total cholesterol level (cholesterol proportion) and lipoprotein particle numbers in 20 lipoprotein fractions were measured by a newly developed high-performance gel permeation chromatography.

RESULTS

Diabetic nephropathy was observed in 23.9% of the patients. The mean age was 75.0 years and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 17.2 ml/min./1.73m2. The lipoprotein particle numbers in small HDLs were higher in Stage 4 group than in Stage 5 group (p = 0.002). Multivariate regression analysis adjusted for baseline characteristics showed that the cholesterol proportions in very small HDLs were associated with eGFR change rate [F19 β = -17.63, p = 0.036] and ABI [F19 β = 0.047, p = 0.047] in Stage 4 group, and that serum soluble α-Klotho level was associated with the lipoprotein particle numbers in very small HDLs [F19 β = 0.00026, p = 0.012; F20 β = 0.00041, p = 0.036] in Stage 5 group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that HDL subclasses are associated with CKD progression, ABI, and Klotho level in CKD-stage-specific manner.

Preoperative ultrasonographic findings of internal jugular veins and carotid arteries in kidney transplant recipients

Background

Hemodialysis via the internal jugular vein (IJV) has been widely used for patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, as they have a higher risk of arterial diseases. We investigated the ultrasonographic findings of the IJV and carotid artery (CA) in recipients of kidney transplantation (KT) and identified factors influencing IJV/CA abnormalities.

Methods

We enrolled 120 adult KT recipients. Patients in group A (n = 57) had a history of IJV hemodialysis, while those in group B (n = 63) were not yet on dialysis or undergoing dialysis methods not involving the IJV. The day before surgery, we evaluated the state of the IJV and CA using ultrasonography. We followed patients with IJV stenosis for six months after KT.

Results

Ultrasonography revealed that four patients (7%) in group A had IJV abnormalities, while no patients in group B had abnormalities (P = 0.118). Of the four patients with abnormalities, one with 57.4% stenosis normalized during follow- up. However, another patient with 90.1% stenosis progressed to occlusion, while the two patients with total occlusion remained the same. Twenty patients in group A (n = 11) and B (n = 9) had several CA abnormalities (P = 0.462). Upon multivariate analysis with stepwise selection, height and age were significantly correlated with IJV stenosis (P = 0.043, odds ratio = 0.9) and CA abnormality (P = 0.012, odds ratio = 1.1), respectively.

Conclusions

IJV abnormalities (especially with a history of IJV hemodialysis) and CA abnormalities may be present in ESRD patients. Therefore, we recommend ultrasonographic evaluation before catheterization.

Ischemic Heart Disease in Patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease

BACKGROUND

It was recently reported that the severity of coronary and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) has improved over the last two decades. However, the frequency of coronary artery events observed at the initiation of dialysis remains high.

SUMMARY

Recently, 5 different clinical types of acute myocardial infarction (MI) were introduced in the third universal definition of MI. Type 2 MI, known as secondary MI, is a more heterogeneous entity, where a condition other than coronary artery narrowing contributes to an acute imbalance in oxygen supply and demand. In patients with chronic kidney disease, it has been demonstrated that type 2 MI is more common than type 1 MI, which is associated with coronary occlusive disease. It is suspected that patients with ESKD also often have type 2 MI. Factors associated with incremental increases in oxygen demand may cause myocardial ischemia in ESKD.

KEY MESSAGES

Significant epicardial coronary narrowing might not be a necessary precursor of myocardial ischemia in ESKD. To prevent ischemic heart disease and improve prognosis in patients with ESKD, we need to pay attention not only to coronary stenotic lesions, but also to the factors associated with the induction of an imbalance in myocardial oxygen supply and demand.

Different impact of hemodialysis vintage on cause-specific mortality in long-term hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND

Although dialysis vintage is associated with increased mortality risk in patients receiving hemodialysis (HD), the association of dialysis vintage with cause-specific mortality is unclear.

METHODS

We conducted a nationwide registry-based retrospective cohort study of 216 246 patients receiving maintenance HD for > 1 year at the end of 2009. The associations of dialysis vintage categories (1 -< 2, 2 -< 5, 5 -< 10, 10 -< 15, 15 -< 20, 20 -< 25, 25 -< 30 and ≥ 30 years) with 1-year all-cause and cause-specific mortality, including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and infection-related mortality, were examined using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

During the 1-year study period, 18 614 deaths occurred from all causes, including 7263 and 3504 deaths from CVD and infection-related causes. From multivariate analysis, the dialysis vintage was incrementally associated with a higher risk for all-cause mortality, with worse outcome observed in the ≥ 30 years category {odds ratio [OR] = 2.43 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.13-2.77}. A similar association was apparent between the dialysis vintage and infection-related mortality, with a higher risk than that of all-cause mortality in each vintage category [≥ 30 years, OR = 3.55 (95% CI 2.72-4.66)], while the dialysis vintage was associated with only a modest increase in risk of CVD mortality [≥ 30 years, OR = 1.64 (95% CI 1.30-2.08)].

CONCLUSIONS

Dialysis vintage has a different impact on cause-specific mortality, with a higher risk for infection-related mortality than CVD mortality. This impact is most pronounced in long-term HD survivors, to whom much attention should be devoted to prevent infectious complications.

Correlation between small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and carotid artery intima-media thickness in a healthy Chinese population

BACKGROUND

Small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) concentration was useful in the assessment of the presence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and its severity. We examined whether SdLDL-C is more closely associated with carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT), a surrogate measure of atherosclerosis, than LDL-C and traditional CVD risk factors in Chinese healthy subjects.

METHODS

We measured CA-IMT, blood pressure (BP), sdLDL-C, glucose metabolism and lipid in 183 native Chinese healthy subjects. CA-IMT was assessed by ultrasonography, and sdLDL-C concentrations were measured by a homogenous assay. Pearson's correlation coefficient analyses and Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between CA-IMT values and other clinical variables.

RESULTS

The sdLDL-C level was significantly higher in males than in females (p <0.05) and there was an age effect on sdLDL-C (p <0.05). When the effects of age, gender and other traditional CVD risk factors were adjusted using multiple regression analysis. CA-IMT remained significantly associated with sdLDL-C(β = 0.437, p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

There are gender and age differences in sdLDL-C levels among a healthy Chinese population. Moreover, we found adjusted traditional CVD risk factors such as higher age, male sex, and other traditional CVD risk factors, the association between CA-IMT and SdLDL-C remained significant. sdLDL-C is may be a useful predictor in the assessment of CA-IMT in Chinese population.

Association of carotid intima-media thickness with cardiovascular risk factors and patient outcomes in advanced chronic kidney disease: the RRI-CKD study

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. The relationships of intima-media thickness (IMT), a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis, with traditional and nontraditional risk factors and with adverse outcomes in CKD patients are not well-established. Methods: IMT, clinical characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, and clinical outcomes were measured in 198 subjects from the Renal Research Institute (RRI) CKD study, a four-center prospective cohort of patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≤ 50 mL/min/1.73 m² not requiring renal replacement therapy. Results: The patients averaged 61 ± 14 years of age; the mean eGFR was 29 ± 12 mL/min/1.73 m². Maximum IMT was more closely associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors, including age, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and systolic blood pressure, than with nontraditional risk factors or with eGFR. Higher values of maximum IMT were also independently associated with clinical CVD and with other markers of subclinical CVD. Maximum IMT ≥ 2.6 mm was predictive of the composite endpoint of CVD events and death (hazard ratio (HR): 5.47 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.97 – 10.07, p < 0.0001)) but was not related to progression to end-stage renal disease (HR: 1.67 (95% CI: 0.74 – 3.76, p = 0.21)). Conclusion: In patients with advanced pre-dialysis CKD, higher maximum IMT was associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors, CVD, and other markers of subclinical CVD and was an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and death. Additional research is needed to examine the clinical utility of IMT in the risk stratification and clinical management of patients with CKD.

Menopausal symptoms in women with chronic kidney disease

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to determine whether menopausal symptoms differed between women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and women without CKD, and whether CKD modified associations of late vasomotor symptoms (VMS) with mortality and/or cardiovascular events.

METHODS

CKD, defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate lower than 60 mL/minute/1.73 m (using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation), was determined in 17,891 postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 79 years at baseline, in the multiethnic Women's Health Initiative cohort. Primary outcomes were presence, severity, and timing/duration of VMS (self-reported hot flashes and night sweats) at baseline. We used polytomous logistic regression to test for associations among CKD and four VMS categories (no VMS; early VMS-present before menopause but not at study baseline; late VMS-present only at study baseline; persistent VMS-present before menopause and study baseline) and Cox regression to determine whether CKD modified associations between late VMS and mortality or cardiovascular events.

RESULTS

Women with CKD (1,017 of 17,891; mean estimated glomerular filtration rate, 50.7 mL/min/1.73 m) were more likely to have had menopause before age 45 years (26% vs 23%, P = 0.02) but were less likely to experience VMS (38% vs 46%, P < 0.001) than women without CKD. Women with CKD were not more likely than women without CKD to experience late VMS. Late VMS (hazard ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04-1.29) and CKD (hazard ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.54-1.97) were each independently associated with increased risk for mortality, but CKD did not modify the association of late VMS with mortality (Pinteraction = 0.53), coronary heart disease (Pinteraction = 0.12), or stroke (Pinteraction = 0.68).

CONCLUSIONS

Women with mild CKD experience earlier menopause and fewer VMS than women without CKD.

Changes over the last decade in carotid atherosclerosis in patients with end-stage kidney disease

OBJECTIVE

Therapies for chronic kidney disease have changed greatly over the last decade. The aim of this study was to examine the changes in the clinical characteristics and carotid atherosclerosis of patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) over the last 9 years.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of 150 consecutive patients with ESKD who had initiated maintenance dialysis between January 2005 and December 2013 was conducted. The patients' mean age was 68 ± 13 years. The group comprised 73% men, and 63% of the patients had diabetic nephropathy. The carotid artery-intima media thicknesses and the plaque scores (PS) were measured using carotid artery ultrasonography within 3 months of dialysis initiation. Changes in the patients' carotid atherosclerosis and clinical characteristics over the years were examined by categorizing the patients into 3 groups representing 3-year intervals based on when dialysis was initiated.

RESULTS

The PS declined from 12.8 to 5.4 (P = 0.001). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels declined over the 9-year period (P = 0.005 and P = 0.006, respectively), and the ratio of statin users increased markedly from 24% to 54% (P = 0.001). Univariate regression analysis identified a positive correlation between the PS and LDL-C (r = 0.281; P = 0.01), and a strong positive correlation was found between the PS and LDL-C after adjusting for various risk factors for atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSION

Carotid atherosclerosis in patients with ESKD has decreased over the past 9 years, which may be a consequence of improvements in dyslipidemia management.

High resolution 3D diffusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance of carotid vessel wall to detect lipid core without contrast media

BACKGROUND

Without the need of contrast media, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has shown great promise for accurate detection of lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), a well-known feature of vulnerable plaques. However, limited resolution and poor image quality in vivo with conventional single-shot diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging (SS-DWEPI) has hindered its clinical application. The aim of this work is to develop a diffusion-prepared turbo-spin-echo (DP-TSE) technique for carotid plaque characterization with 3D high resolution and improved image quality.

METHODS

Unlike SS-DWEPI where the diffusion encoding is integrated in the EPI framework, DP-TSE uses a diffusion encoding module separated from the TSE framework, allowing for segmented acquisition without the sensitivity to phase errors. The interleaved, motion-compensated sequence was designed to enable 3D black-blood DWI of carotid arteries with sub-millimeter resolution. The sequence was tested on 12 healthy subjects and compared with SS-DWEPI for image quality, vessel wall visibility, and vessel wall thickness measurements. A pilot study was performed on 6 patients with carotid plaques using this sequence and compared with conventional contrast-enhanced multi-contrast 2D TSE as the reference.

RESULTS

DP-TSE demonstrated advantages over SS-DWEPI for resolution and image quality. In the healthy subjects, vessel wall visibility was significantly higher with diffusion-prepared TSE (p < 0.001). Vessel wall thicknesses measured from diffusion-prepared TSE were on average 35% thinner than those from the EPI images due to less distortion and partial volume effect (p < 0.001). ADC measurements of healthy carotid vessel wall are 1.53 ± 0.23 × 10-3 mm2/s. In patients the mean ADC measurements in the LRNC area were significantly lower (0.60 ± 0.16 × 10-3 mm2/s) than those of the fibrous plaque tissue (1.27 ± 0.29 × 10-3 mm2/s, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Diffusion-prepared CMR allows, for the first time, 3D DWI of the carotid arterial wall in vivo with high spatial resolution and improved image quality over SS-DWEPI. It can potentially detect LRNC without the use of contrast agents, allowing plaque characterization in patients with renal insufficiency.

Sonographic Evaluation of the Carotid Intima-media Complex Thickness in Nigerian Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Measurement of the carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) is being used by many investigators to detect an increased risk of coronary artery atherosclerotic disease and document treatment effects. This study compares CIMT measurements in 75 patients with chronic kidney disease to a matched cohort of 75 subjects with normal kidney function. In plaque-free arterial segments, the CIMT was measured manually in the longitudinal plane from the far walls of a segment of the common carotid artery 3 cm in length adjacent to the carotid bifurcation. Patients with CKD had a significantly higher mean CIMT compared to those with normal renal function (0.86 ± 0.42 mm vs 0.69 ± 0.21 mm; P < .01). Mean CIMT values did not differ significantly between patients with different stages of CKD (stage 3: 0.88 ± 0.14 mm; stage 4: 0.89 ± 0.18 mm; and stage 5: 0.87 ± 0.14 mm, P = .94). These data indicate that CIMT is significantly higher in patients with CKD compared with controls, regardless of the stage of their disease, and may be a readily available noninvasive means of further assessing cardiovascular risk in CKD patients.

Common Carotid Artery Thickness in Chronic Kidney Disease

AIM: Previous studies showed that patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) > 2 dergee had increased intima-media thickness (IMT).  We evaluate the relationship between IMT and parameters for renal function.METHODS: 130 subjects were examined – 66 with CKD, 44 without CKD, as well as 20 healthy volunteers. The first group- patients with CKD were with creatinine clearance (CrCl) over 20 ml/min and below 90 ml/min. The second group included 44 pts. with normal renal function, CrCl > 90 ml/min. All examined patients with and without CKD had hypertension.   The two groups were streamed into two subgroups: with and without vascular disease. To evaluate the renal function creatinine clearance was calculated in ml/min. IMT was measured in both common carotid artery (CCA) using high resolution sonography in all examined subjects.RESULTS: CCA IMT increased in pts. with CKD and was > 0.75 ( 0.76 ± 0.14 v.s contols 0.59 ± 0.10) Patients with vascular disease (VD) had higher IMT which increased significant when CKD with GFR < 90 ml/min was included (0.77 ± 0.06/0.81 ± 0.10, p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis proved that renal function deterioration directly affected CCA IMT (R2=0.208, p=0.022).CONCLUSION: Increased IMT is presented in mild renal dysfunction. CKD –GFR< 90 ml/min could be an independent vascular risk factor.

Association between circulating endothelial cells and carotid atherosclerosis in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis

Accelerated atherosclerosis is the major cause of mortality in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, and endothelial injury associated with MHD might contribute strongly to pathogenesis. The current study was designed to explore possible associations between circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and intima-media thickness of common carotid artery (CCA-IMT) as an indicator of carotid atherosclerosis. Sixty-two MHD patients and 26 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited. The number of CECs was determined in peripheral blood using multiparametric flow cytometry. CCA-IMT and presence of plaques in the common carotid arteries were assessed with ultrasound. Laboratory tests results and the demographics were recorded. The finding indicated that numbers of CECs were higher in patients before hemodialysis (predialysis) compared with numbers in controls (P = 0.045). CCA-IMT was also significantly higher in patients than in controls (P < 0.01). A positive relationship was observed between predialysis CECs numbers and CCA-IMT (P < 0.01) in MHD patients. In multiple linear regression analysis, the relationship between the predialysis CECs level and CCA-IMT remained the same even if adjusting for confounding effects. Accordingly, the investigation indicates that the CECs level is positively associated with CCA-IMT in our hemodialysis patients. CECs might be an important marker to the severity of carotid atherosclerosis in MHD patients.

Correlation of serum phosphate with carotid intimal-medial thickness in chronic kidney disease patients

While increased serum phosphate concentration is a significant risk factor for vascular calcification, it is unclear whether serum phosphate is also a risk factor for increased arterial wall thickness in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Using B-mode ultrasonography, we examined carotid intimal-medial thickness (CIMT) of CKD patients and analyzed risk factors for increased IMT with regard to the effect of serum phosphate. One hundred patients were enrolled (73 patients without diabetes, 27 patients with diabetes; 57 men, 43 women; age, 46.2 ± 15.3 years). CIMT of patients with diabetes was significantly greater than that of patients without diabetes (0.78 ± 0.250 versus 0.66 ± 0.178 mm; P < 0.0001). For the group of all patients, CIMT correlated strongly and significantly with serum phosphate (r = 0.911; P < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis serum phosphate level (β = 0.356; <0.0001) was found to be a significant independent risk factor for increased CIMT, in addition to other independent risk factors, including advanced age, higher systolic blood pressure, urinary albumin and the presence of diabetes (R2 = 0.956; P < 0.00001). In conclusion, high serum phosphate level is a significant and independent factor associated with advanced arteriosclerosis in CKD patients with and without diabetes in addition to advanced age.

Mortality due to pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, and stroke among incident dialysis patients

BACKGROUND

It is has been suggested that dialysis patients have lower mortality rates for pulmonary embolism than the general population, because of platelet dysfunction and bleeding tendency. However, there is limited information whether dialysis is indeed associated with a decreased mortality risk from pulmonary embolism.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study was to evaluate whether mortality rate ratios for pulmonary embolism were lower than for myocardial infarction and stroke in dialysis patients compared with the general population.

METHODS

Cardiovascular causes of death for 130,439 incident dialysis patients registered in the ERA-EDTA Registry were compared with the cardiovascular causes of death for the European general population.

RESULTS

The age- and sex-standardized mortality rate (SMR) from pulmonary embolism was 12.2 (95% CI 10.2-14.6) times higher in dialysis patients than in the general population. The SMRs in dialysis patients compared with the general population were 11.0 (95% CI 10.6-11.4) for myocardial infarction, 8.4 (95% CI 8.0-8.8) for stroke, and 8.3 (95% CI 8.0-8.5) for other cardiovascular diseases. In dialysis patients, primary kidney disease due to diabetes was associated with an increased mortality risk due to pulmonary embolism (HR 1.9; 95% CI 1.0-3.8), myocardial infarction (HR 4.1; 95% CI 3.4-4.9), stroke (HR 3.5; 95% CI 2.8-4.4), and other cardiovascular causes of death (HR 3.4; 95% CI 2.9-3.9) compared with patients with polycystic kidney disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Dialysis patients were found to have an unexpected highly increased mortality rate for pulmonary embolism and increased mortality rates for myocardial infarction and stroke.

A study of atherosclerosis in patients with chronic renal failure with special reference to carotid artery intima media thickness

Objectives:

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). This study attempts to identify the factors responsible for atherosclerosis in CRF patients using carotid artery intima media thickness (CAIMT) as a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis.

Materials and Methods:

CAIMT was measured by high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography in 100 CRF patients and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Data were analyzed by software SPSS (17^th version) for Windows.

Results:

CRF patients had a significantly higher CAIMT (1026.83 ± 17.19 micron, mean ± SE, P < 0.001) than age- and sex-matched healthy controls (722.46 ± 7.61 micron). There was inverse correlation between CAIMT and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (P < 0.001) independent of traditional risk factors. There was also significant positive correlation between CAIMT and traditional risk factors of atherosclerosis. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) also showed positive correlation with CAIMT (P = 0.007) and inverse correlation with GFR (P = 0.005).

Conclusions:

There is high prevalence of atherosclerosis in CRF patients. CAIMT can be used to detect and predict future incidence of IHD in CRF patients.

Effects of hemodialysis on brachial artery endothelial function: a clinical study

OBJECTIVES

The purposes of this study were to determine brachial artery endothelial function in patients at varying times during hemodialysis and to evaluate the influence and time-dependent effects of hemodialysis on the vascular endothelium.

METHODS

The brachial artery systolic and diastolic dimensions and diameter after reactive hyperemia in patients undergoing hemodialysis (dialysis group), uremic patients who had not yet undergone hemodialysis (predialysis group), and healthy volunteers (control group) were measured by high-frequency sonography. The distensibility coefficient, degree of brachial artery stiffness, and flow-mediated dilatation were calculated.

RESULTS

The distensibility coefficient and flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery were significantly decreased, whereas the degree of stiffness was significantly increased, in the dialysis and predialysis groups compared with the control group (P < .01). There were no significant differences in these parameters between the dialysis group at 12 months and the predialysis group (P> .05). The distensibility coefficient and flow-mediated dilatation at 36 months were significantly lower (P < .01), whereas the degree of stiffness was significantly higher, than that at 12 months after starting hemodialysis (P < .01) but not between 36 and 60 months after hemodialysis (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Hemodialysis could aggravate endothelial dysfunction in uremic patients and this effect is associated with the duration of hemodialysis.

Chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at an increased risk not only for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) but also for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this review article, we summarize the current evidence of CKD as a high-risk condition for CVD based on reports from Japan and other countries to draw attention to the close clinical association between CKD and CVD. Several epidemiologic studies have shown that the presence of CKD and reduced renal function are independent predictors of CVD also in Japan. According to a post-hoc analysis of CASE-J, the power of CKD as a predictor of CVD is as strong as diabetes mellitus and a previous history of ischemic heart disease. CKD worsens classical risk factors including hypertension and dyslipidemia, and dyslipidemia is associated with increased thickness and stiffness of large arteries independent of major confounders. A post-hoc analysis of MEGA indicates that lipid-lowering therapy with statins reduces the risk of CVD, and that it appears to be more efficacious in patients with than without CKD. These reports from Japan and other countries suggest that CKD should be regarded as a high-risk condition comparable to diabetes mellitus, and that strict control of dyslipidemia would be beneficial in preventing CVD, at least early stages of CKD.

Carotid intima-media thickness in children with end-stage renal disease on dialysis

Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are common in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. There is scarce data on carotid and bulb intima-media thickness (IMT-C and IMT-B) as an early marker of atherosclerosis and related factors in children on hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). Since we did not have enough information about our patients, this study was carried on all ESRD children (hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis) in a referral center. Data was collected from 16 ESRD children under 18 years with seven patients on PD and nine on HD. Lab tests and biochemical parameters including serum von Willebrand factor (vWF), homocystein, apo lipoprotein A, apo lipoprotein B and quantitative CRP were measured in fasting patients just before initiating dialysis. IMT-C and IMT-B were measured by gray scale ultrasound using 7.5 MHZ probe. The mean of age was 12.76±4.5 years. The mean duration of dialysis in HD and PD patients were not significantly different; 11.88±3.25 months and 10.14±2.4 months respectively. Mean of systolic blood pressure in HD group was significantly higher than PD group, 135.55±25.54 mmHg versus 121.42±12.14 mmHg, P<0.05. Significant differences among all following parameters in ESRD patients, with normal laboratory values, were clarified: cholesterol, triglycerides, apo A, apo B, quantitative CRP, VWF, homocystein and IMT-C. However, we could not demonstrate any difference between IMT-B in case and control group. After adjusting for age, partial correlation showed significant correlation between IMT-C and following factors: N-PTH and serum alkaline phosphatase. Longitudinal studies with large size samples are needed to clarify the contributing factors with intima-media thickness in ESRD children.

Elevated non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) predicts atherosclerotic cardiovascular events in hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Dialysis patients show "reverse causality" between serum cholesterol and mortality. No previous studies clearly separated the risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the risk of death or fatality after such events. We tested a hypothesis that dyslipidemia increases the risk of incident atherosclerotic CVD and that protein energy wasting (PEW) increases the risk of fatality after CVD events in hemodialysis patients.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

This was an observational cohort study in 45,390 hemodialysis patients without previous history of myocardial infarction (MI), cerebral infarction (CI), or cerebral bleeding (CB) at the end of 2003, extracted from a nationwide dialysis registry in Japan. Outcome measures were new onsets of MI, CI, CB, and death in 1 year.

RESULTS

The incidence rates of MI, CI, and CB were 1.43, 2.53, and 1.01 per 100 person-years, and death rates after these events were 0.23, 0.21, and 0.29 per 100 person-years, respectively. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, incident MI was positively associated with non-HDL cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and inversely with HDL cholesterol (HDL-C). Incident CI was positively associated with non-HDL-C, whereas CB was not significantly associated with these lipid parameters. Among the patients who had new MI, CI, and/or CB, death risk was not associated with HDL-C or non-HDL-C, but with higher age, lower body mass index, and higher C-reactive protein levels.

CONCLUSIONS

In this hemodialysis cohort, dyslipidemia was associated with increased risk of incident atherosclerotic CVD, and protein energy wasting/inflammation with increased risk of death after CVD events.

Atherosclerosis in chronic kidney disease: the role of macrophages

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and loss of renal parenchyma accelerates atherosclerosis in animal models. Macrophages are central to atherogenesis because they regulate cholesterol traffic and inflammation in the arterial wall. CKD influences macrophage behavior at multiple levels, rendering them proatherogenic. Even at normal creatinine levels, macrophages from uninephrectomized Apoe(-/-) mice are enriched in cholesterol owing to downregulation of cholesterol transporter ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1 levels and activation of nuclear factor κB, which leads to impaired cholesterol efflux. Interestingly, treatment with an angiotensin-II-receptor blocker (ARB) improves these effects. Moreover, atherosclerotic aortas from Apoe(-/-) mice transplanted into renal-ablated normocholesterolemic recipients show plaque progression and increased macrophage content instead of the substantial regression seen in recipient mice with intact kidneys. ARBs reduce atherosclerosis development in mice with partial renal ablation. These results, combined with the clinical benefits of angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and ARBs in patients with CKD, suggest an important role for the angiotensin system in the enhanced susceptibility to atherosclerosis seen across the spectrum of CKD. The role of macrophages could explain why these therapies may be effective in end-stage renal disease, one of the few conditions in which statins show no clinical benefit.

Carbamylated LDL

Nonenzymatic modification of protein by cyanate, that is, carbamylation, has received new attention due to its apparent relevance in atherosclerosis. For example, carbamylation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is an important mechanism that potentially impacts high-risk atherosclerotic individuals with increased urea (renal insufficiency) or thiocyanate (tobacco smoking). Carbamylated LDL (cLDL) is increased in patients with end-stage kidney disease, especially those with atherosclerosis. In addition, cLDL exhibits distinct cytotoxic effects when tested in vitro on endothelial cells, induces the expression of adhesion molecules, and aggravates the monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. It also facilitates the proliferation of vascular smooth-muscle cell (VSMC). Studies of potential pharmacological interruption of these processes in vivo may lead to discoveries of novel therapies for atherosclerosis.

Tight relations between coronary calcification and atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid artery in chronic dialysis patients

AIM

Both vascular calcification and atherosclerosis are highly prevalent in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and have been associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity. Because those two phenomena might be only coincidentally related in chronic haemodialysis (HD) patients, in this study, coronary artery calcification (CAC), common carotid artery intima media thickness (CCA-IMT) and thickness of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery were simultaneously measured.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study of 47 HD patients (31 male, mean age 56.8 +/- 11.4 years, and 16 female, mean age 56.0 +/- 7.5 years) without history of major cardiovascular complications. CCA-IMT and presence and thickness of atherosclerotic plaques were measured with ultrasound and CAC with multidetector computed tomography.

RESULTS

The CAC were present in 70.2% of patients. The mean CAC was 1055 +/- 232, the mean CCA-IMT was 0.96 +/- 0.21. The atherosclerotic plaques in the common carotid arteries were visualized in 38 patients (80.1%), the mean thickness of the atherosclerotic plaque was 1.61 +/- 0.8 mm. We found a significant positive correlation between CAC and CCA-IMT (r = 0.70, P < 0.001). The thickness of atherosclerosis plaque positively correlated with CAC as well as with CCA-IMT (r = 0.60, P < 0.001 and r = 0.7, P < 0.003, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The study revealed close relationships between CAC, intima media thickness and the thickness of atherosclerotic plaques in dialysis patients. It may indicate that both vascular calcification and atherosclerotic lesions frequently coexist in patients with ESRD and that the intima media thickness could serve as a surrogate marker of vascular calcification.

“Does chronic kidney disease define a particular risk pattern of cerebral vessels modifications in patients with symptomatic ischemic cerebrovascular disease?”

Cardiovascular complications, including stroke, may be attributed the highest rate of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of CKD in patients with symptomatic ischaemic cerebrovascular disease and to establish of whether CKD may define a particular risk pattern of cerebral vessels modifications in this category of patients. The prevalence of CKD was evaluated in 590 consecutive patients with symptomatic ischaemic cerebrovascular disease admitted to a department of neurology. The types of stroke, the vascular territories, the vascular modifications and the haemodynamic changes (resistance index- RI) found by neurosonology (extracranial and transcranial Doppler ultrasound) were analysed in relation to classic and non-classic cerebrovascular risk factors, as well as to stages of CKD (defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate-eGFR-MDRD4 formula-K/DOQI 2002). The prevalence of CKD in the studied patients was 70.84%. Atherosclerosis in a diffuse pattern was detected in 79.7% of CKD patients, while carotid artery stenoses were found in 10% of cases, occlusions- 5.3%, stenoses + occlusions-1.2%, and multiple stenoses- 3.8% of cases. The RI evaluated in the internal carotid arteries correlated with fibrinogen(P<0.0001) and GFR(P<0.0001), while IR in the middle cerebral arteries correlated with fibrinogen(P<0.05), C-reactive protein(P<0.0001), and GFR(P<0.0001). There is a strong relation between symptomatic cerebrovascular disease and CKD, a fact demonstrated by the increased prevalence of CKD in these patients and by the severity of the cerebral vessels lesions.

Circulating plasma antioxidants, inflammatory markers and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis in end-stage renal disease patients: a case control study

Few studies have been conducted on the relationship between antioxidant plasma vitamin concentrations, inflammatory markers and carotid atherosclerosis with inconclusive results in endstage renal disease (ESRD) patients. A case-control study was performed to investigate the relationship between plasma antioxidant concentrations, inflammatory markers, and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in healthy subjects and in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). We enrolled 40 subjects (20 healthy, 20 with ESRD) asymptomatic for carotid atherosclerosis. After carotid ultrasound investigation (CUI), medical history data, physical examination, venous blood samples were collected. These were analyzed for concentrations of antioxidant vitamins (A, E), carotenoids (lycopene, beta-carotene), inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen), and lipid profile. Low concentrations of vitamin A, vitamin E, lycopene, and beta-carotene were significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis in patients with ESRD (p less than 0.001). In addition, high concentration of low density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol (p less than 0.01), C-reactive protein and fibrinogen (p less than 0.001) were also associated with carotid atherosclerosis, while other laboratory parameters considered (high density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides) were not significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis. A regular intake of foods rich in antioxidant vitamins with low fat concentrations may slow the progression of atherosclerotic process in this group of patients.

Serum C-reactive protein and thioredoxin levels in subjects with mildly reduced glomerular filtration rate

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a newly recognized high-risk condition for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and previous studies reported the changes in inflammation and oxidative stress in advanced stages of CKD. We compared the levels of serum biomarkers for inflammation and oxidative stress between subjects with normal and mildly reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR).

Methods

The subjects were 182 participants of a health check-up program including those with normal (≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m², N = 79) and mildly reduced eGFR (60-89 mL/min/1.73 m², N = 103) which was calculated based on serum creatinine, age and sex. We excluded those with reduced eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m². No one had proteinuria. We measured serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and thioredoxin (TRX) as the markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, respectively.

Results

As compared with subjects with normal eGFR, those with mildly reduced eGFR had increased levels of both CRP and TRX. Also, eGFR was inversely correlated with these biomarkers. The associations of eGFR with these biomarkers remained significant after adjustment for age and sex. When adjustment was done for eight possible confounders, CRP showed significant association with systolic blood pressure, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and non-HDL-C, whereas TRX was associated with sex significantly, and with eGFR and systolic blood pressure at borderline significance.

Conclusions

We showed the increased levels of CRP and TRX in subjects with mildly reduced eGFR. The eGFR-CRP link and the eGFR-TRX link appeared to be mediated, at least partly, by the alterations in blood pressure and plasma lipids in these subjects.

Cardiovascular risk factors in patients with chronic kidney disease

Patients with chronic kidney disease have a higher burden of cardiovascular disease, which increases in a dose-dependent fashion with worsening kidney function. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors, including advanced age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia, have an important role in the progression of cardiovascular disease in patients who have a reduced glomerular filtration rate, especially in those with mild-to-moderate kidney disease. In patients with severe kidney disease, nontraditional or 'novel' risk factors, including inflammation, oxidative stress, vascular calcification, a prothrombotic milieu, and anemia, seem to confer additional risk. In this Review, we highlight factors that increase cardiovascular risk in patients with a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate. In addition, we discuss therapeutic strategies for reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with kidney disease, whose unique atherosclerotic phenotype might require an approach that differs from traditional models developed in populations with normal kidney function. Therapeutic paradigms for patients with chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular risk factors must be evaluated in randomized trials, from which such patients have often been excluded.

The relationship between circulating endothelial microparticles and arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis in children with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

Endothelial dysfunction is an important factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and endothelial microparticles (EMPs) are considered as markers of endothelial dysfunction. In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between EMPs and arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 37 dialysis patients (12 haemodialysis, 25 peritoneal dialysis), 33 pre-dialysis patients and 18 healthy controls. Both in vivo and in vitro (HUVECs) evaluations were used for the study. Circulating EMPs were measured by flow cytometry. The carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured by using high-resolution ultrasound. Study groups were compared for circulating EMP, cIMT and PWV. The relationship between EMPs and arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis was evaluated.

RESULTS

The levels of PWV, cIMT, CD144 + EMP and CD146 + EMP in the dialysis group were significantly higher than those in the pre-dialysis and control groups (P < 0.05). Additionally, the levels of cIMT, CD144 + EMP and CD146 + EMP in the pre-dialysis group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). In all CKD patients, the CD144 + EMP was significantly positively associated with blood pressures, age, known duration of disease, CRP and PTH, and was significantly negatively associated with haemoglobin, GFR and albumin. The CD146 + EMP was significantly positively associated with blood pressures, age and CRP. In a multiple linear regression analysis, in the CKD group, cIMT was independently related to mean blood pressure and dialysis duration. PWV was independently related to the CD144 + EMP and mean blood pressure.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that endothelial damage starts in the early stage of CKD, that the endothelial dysfunction becomes overt with the increase of cardiovascular risk factors and that EMPs may be a reliable marker of the subclinical atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness.

Carotid Intimal Thickness and Flow-Mediated Dilatation in Diabetic and Nondiabetic Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Objectives

We compared carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) between cases [end-stage renal disease patients (diabetic and nondiabetic) on peritoneal dialysis (PD)] and controls (diabetic and hypertensive patients with normal renal function) with the objective of identifying risk factors predicting atherosclerosis.

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved 124 subjects (62 cases, 62 controls). In both the case and control populations, we used B-mode ultrasonography to study CIMT and endothelium-dependent FMD, according to American College of Cardiology guidelines on brachial artery measurement. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the correlation between CIMT and other variables.

Results

Compared with controls, cases had significantly higher systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, serum uric acid, inorganic phosphate, C-reactive protein, and parathyroid hormone, and significantly lower hemoglobin, calcium, and high-density lipoprotein. Compared with controls, cases showed significantly greater CIMT (0.60 ± 0.08 mm vs 0.54 ± 0.03 mm, p < 0.001) and significantly lower FMD (0.15 ± 0.08 cm vs 0.21 ± 0.04 cm, p = 0.02). Among cases, patients with diabetes had significantly greater CIMT (0.62 ± 0.08 mm vs 0.58 ± 0.07 mm, p = 0.05) than did patients without diabetes; FMD was similar in diabetic and nondiabetic patients on continuous ambulatory PD (0.16 ± 0.03 cm vs 0.18 ± 0.03 cm, p = 0.20).

Conclusions

Compared with controls, cases had significantly higher CIMT and lower FMD. Cases with diabetes had significantly higher CIMT than did cases without diabetes, but FMD was similar in diabetic and nondiabetic cases. Serum inorganic phosphate is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and was significantly correlated with CIMT. The noninvasive CIMT and FMD tests can be used to monitor atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction.

Atheroma progression in chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Cardiovascular events are 10 to 100 times more frequent in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We tested the hypothesis that the rate of atherosclerotic plaque growth is faster in severe versus moderate CKD.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

We performed a prospective cohort study in 318 prevalent CKD patients with initial creatinine clearance (CCr) between 20 and 50 ml/min/1.73 m(2). Baseline clinical and laboratory data were obtained on all patients. Plaque area was determined every 6 mo using bilateral carotid ultrasonography. Plaque area distribution was normalized using a cube root transformation. Unadjusted and adjusted associations between CCr quintiles and rate of change in the transformed plaque area were assessed using multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

The rate of plaque progression appeared lower in patients with the lowest CCr. Median rate of plaque growth was 0.4 mm(2)/yr in the lowest quintile of CCr (< 23 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) versus 5.0 mm(2)/yr in the highest quintile (> 43 ml/min/1.73 m(2)). This association remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders. A secondary analysis using quintiles of Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) GFR confirmed the absence of increased plaque growth at low GFR, although a reduced rate of growth in the lowest quintile of MDRD GFR was not observed.

CONCLUSION

We did not observe accelerated plaque growth at low levels of renal function. We suggest that mechanisms other than plaque growth are responsible for the observed excess of cardiovascular disease in CKD patients.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the efficacy and safety of cinacalcet HCl in participants with CKD not receiving dialysis

BACKGROUND

Secondary hyperparathyroidism is observed in patients with early chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study investigated the safety and efficacy of cinacalcet for secondary hyperparathyroidism in participants with CKD not receiving dialysis.

STUDY DESIGN

Double-blind, randomized, 32-week, phase 3 study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

404 participants with stage 3 or 4 CKD from 73 centers in 9 countries.

INTERVENTIONS

Cinacalcet:placebo (3:1 ratio).

OUTCOMES & MEASUREMENTS

Proportion of participants with a mean decrease of 30% or greater in intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) level, proportion with iPTH level of 70 or less or 110 or less pg/mL (stage 3 and 4 CKD, respectively), and mean percentage of iPTH change from baseline, all during the efficacy-assessment phase.

RESULTS

A greater proportion of cinacalcet than placebo participants achieved a 30% or greater decrease in iPTH level (74% versus 28%; P < 0.001), corresponding to a 43.1% decrease in iPTH level from baseline (cinacalcet) compared with a 1.1% increase (placebo). At week 32, serum calcium levels were 8.9 +/- 0.8 mg/dL (-8.9%; cinacalcet) and 9.9 +/- 0.6 mg/dL (+0.8%; placebo), phosphorus levels were 4.5 +/- 1.0 mg/dL (+21.4%) and 4.0 +/- 0.7 mg/dL (+6.8%), and calcium-phosphorus product values were 40.1 +/- 8.3 mg(2)/dL(2) (+18.9%) and 38.9 +/- 6.9 mg(2)/dL(2) (+17.1%), respectively. During the study course, 62% (cinacalcet) and 1% (placebo) of participants experienced 2 consecutive serum calcium concentrations less than 8.4 mg/dL. They generally were asymptomatic and without significant clinical consequences. Treatment generally was well tolerated, and most adverse events were mild to moderate in severity.

LIMITATIONS

The study was not designed to assess the effects of cinacalcet on vascular calcification, bone histomorphometric parameters, or other clinical outcomes. It is not known whether the observed differences in changes in iPTH levels are clinically more important than observed differences in changes in serum calcium or phosphorus levels or dosages of vitamin D sterols and phosphate binders.

CONCLUSIONS

These data show that cinacalcet treatment in patients with CKD not receiving dialysis can decrease plasma iPTH levels, but with frequent (albeit generally asymptomatic) serum calcium levels less than 8.4 mg/dL and increases in serum phosphorus levels.