Cerebrovascular events in hemodialysis patients; a retrospective observational study

The Correlation Between Major Adverse Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events (MACCE) and miR-142-3p in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease

BACKGROUND

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) are at high risk for major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), which are prone to be detrimental to patients' lives. Identifying risk factors for MACCE can help target measures to prevent or reduce the occurrence of MACCE.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to investigate the correlation between miR-142-3p and MACCE in ESRD patients on MHD and to provide a new predictor for MACCE occurrence.

METHODS

Blood samples were collected from subjects to detect the expression of miR-142-3p using RT-qPCR. The correlation of miR-142-3p with HDL-C and hs-CRP was assessed by the Pearson method. The occurrence of MACCE in patients during the 36-month follow-up period was recorded. The clinical value of miR-142-3p in MACCE occurrence was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier curve, multivariate logistic regression, and ROC curve.

RESULTS

In ESRD patients on MHD, miR-142-3p was downregulated, and it showed a positive correlation with HDL-C but a negative correlation with hs-CRP. The cumulative incidence of MACCE at 1, 2, and 3 years was 8.9%, 20.0%, and 30.4%, respectively. miR-142-3p levels were reduced in patients who developed MACCE and were associated with the cumulative incidence of MACCE. miR-142-3p was a risk factor for MACCE and showed a predictive value with specificity and sensitivity of 89.36% and 56.10%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-142-3p was a risk factor of MACCE in ESRD patients undergoing MHD.

Effect of atherosclerosis on the relationship between atrial fibrillation and ischemic stroke incidence among patients on hemodialysis

In patients undergoing hemodialysis, the impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) through cardiac thromboembolism on the development of ischemic stroke may be influenced by the severity of atherosclerosis present. However, there are no large-scale reports confirming whether the severity of atherosclerosis influences the relationship between AF and stroke development in patients requiring hemodialysis. We aimed to investigate the effects of atherosclerotic disease on the relationship between AF and new-onset ischemic stroke. This nationwide longitudinal study based on dialysis facilities across Japan used data collected from the Japanese Renal Data Registry at the end of 2019 and 2020. The exposure was AF at the end of 2019, identified using a resting 12-lead electrocardiography. The primary outcome was the incidence of cerebral infarction (CI) after 1 year. To examine whether the number of atherosclerotic diseases modified the association between AF and the outcome, we estimated the odds ratios (ORs) using a logistic regression model and then assessed the presence of global interaction using Wald test. Following the study criteria, data from 151,350 patients (mean age, 69 years; men, 65.2%; diabetic patients, 48.7%) were included in the final analysis. A total of 9841 patients had AF (prevalence, 6.5%). Between 2019 and 2020, 4967 patients (3.2%) developed ischemic stroke. The adjusted OR of AF for new-onset CI was 1.5, which showed a decreasing trend with an increasing number of atherosclerotic diseases; the interaction was not significant (P = 0.34). While age, diabetes mellitus, smoking, systolic blood pressure, and serum C-reactive protein concentration were positively associated with CI, intradialytic weight gain, body mass index, and serum albumin level were negatively associated. While we demonstrated the association between AF and new-onset CI among Japanese patients on hemodialysis, we failed to demonstrate the evidence that the association was attenuated with an increasing numbers of atherosclerotic complications.

Prevalence of stroke among patients with chronic kidney disease, Taif, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the prevalence of stroke among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in Taif, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

A multicentric retrospective study was carried out from May 2021 to August 2022 on 4 dialysis centers in Taif, Saudi Arabia. With a total of 1857 CKD patients (aged ≥18 years old) participated in this study. Data were collected by reviewing patients' files.

RESULTS

Approximately 98.3% of the participants had severely decreased glomerular filtration rate. Approximately 49.1% of them were on dialysis; the majority of them (87.2%) underwent hemodialysis. The prevalence of stroke in these CKD patients was 8.3%. Ischemic stroke was the most frequently reported issue (81.2%). Ischemic stroke was comparatively more frequently observed in peritoneal dialysis patients (12.1%); whereas hemorrhagic stroke was more on hemodialysis patients with statistically significant association (p=0.029). However, there was no significant association between the prevalence of stroke and stages of CKD.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of stroke in our cohort was 8.3%, and the majority of cases were ischemic strokes. Furthermore, ischemic strokes were more frequent in peritoneal dialysis patients, whereas hemorrhagic strokes occurred more frequently in hemodialysis patients with a statistically significant association.

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Stroke in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Narrative Review

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a higher risk ofboth ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. This association appears to be partly independent from the higher prevalence of established risk factors for stroke in patients with CKD, including hypertension and atrial fibrillation. In the present review we aim to discuss the impact of CKD on the risk of stroke and stroke-related consequences, and explore the pathophysiology underpinning the increased risk of stroke in patients with CKD. We cover the clinical association between renal dysfunction and cerebrovascular disease including stroke, silent brain infarct, cerebral small vessel disease, microbleeds, and white matter hyperintensity, and discuss the underlying mechanisms.

Machine learning-based prediction of cerebral hemorrhage in patients with hemodialysis: A multicenter, retrospective study

Background

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the most serious complications in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing long-term hemodialysis. It has high mortality and disability rates and imposes a serious economic burden on the patient's family and society. An early prediction of ICH is essential for timely intervention and improving prognosis. This study aims to build an interpretable machine learning-based model to predict the risk of ICH in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Methods

The clinical data of 393 patients with end-stage kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis at three different centers between August 2014 and August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 70% of the samples were randomly selected as the training set, and the remaining 30% were used as the validation set. Five machine learning (ML) algorithms, namely, support vector machine (SVM), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), complement Naïve Bayes (CNB), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), and logistic regression (LR), were used to develop a model to predict the risk of ICH in patients with uremia undergoing long-term hemodialysis. In addition, the area under the curve (AUC) values were evaluated to compare the performance of each algorithmic model. Global and individual interpretive analyses of the model were performed using importance ranking and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) in the training set.

Results

A total of 73 patients undergoing hemodialysis developed spontaneous ICH among the 393 patients included in the study. The AUC of SVM, CNB, KNN, LR, and XGB models in the validation dataset were 0.725 (95% CI: 0.610 ~ 0.841), 0.797 (95% CI: 0.690 ~ 0.905), 0.675 (95% CI: 0.560 ~ 0.789), 0.922 (95% CI: 0.862 ~ 0.981), and 0.979 (95% CI: 0.953 ~ 1.000), respectively. Therefore, the XGBoost model had the best performance among the five algorithms. SHAP analysis revealed that the levels of LDL, HDL, CRP, and HGB and pre-hemodialysis blood pressure were the most important factors.

Conclusion

The XGB model developed in this study can efficiently predict the risk of a cerebral hemorrhage in patients with uremia undergoing long-term hemodialysis and can help clinicians to make more individualized and rational clinical decisions. ICH events in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) are associated with serum LDL, HDL, CRP, HGB, and pre-hemodialysis SBP levels.

A High Serum Phosphate and Calcium-Phosphate Product Is Associated With Cerebral Small Vascular Disease in Patients With Stroke: A Real-World Study

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a slowly progressive disease, often accompanied by stroke, and results in dementia, depression, and cognitive impairment. It was already known that calcium and phosphorus metabolism (CPM) disorders were associated with vascular-related adverse events. The risk factors of CSVD and the relationship between serum calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), calcium-phosphate product (Ca × P), and CSVD in patients with stroke without CPM disorders are still obscure. In our study, 528 patients with stroke without CPM disorders were enrolled in a cohort from a consecutive hospital-based stroke registry, with 488 patients with CSVD as cases and 140 without CSVD as controls. The patients with CSVD were further sub-grouped into lacunes, white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs). By applying univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, the following novel findings were obtained: (i) up to 76.19% of patients with stroke had signs of CSVD, and lacunes are the most common subtype. Notably, 22.96% of patients with CSVD had multiple subtypes coexisted. (ii) Compared with patients without CSVD, patients with CSVD had higher levels of age, rate of hypertension or diabetes, serum Ca, P, Ca × P, and lower levels of white blood cell (WBC) and hemoglobin (HB). (iii) We developed 2 predictive models and nomograms for predicting CSVD, in addition to the known factors (age and hypertension). The levels of P and Ca × P were positively correlated with the risk of CSVD (P: OR = 3,720.401, 95% CI (646.665–21,404.249); Ca × P: OR = 1.294, 95% CI (1.222–1.370)). (iv) The models were further validated in subtypes of CSVD, including lacunes, WMHs, and CMBs, and the results were still valid among the subtypes. In summary, CSVD was highly prevalent in patients with stroke, and high serum P and Ca × P are potential risk factors of CSVD and all subtypes including lacunes, WMHs, and CMBs.

Predictive Value of Total Small-Vessel Disease Score for Recurrent Stroke in Patients Undergoing MaintenanceHemodialysis

OBJECTIVES

We sought to examine the validity of the total small-vessel disease (SVD) score in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis by investigating its predictive value for recurrent stroke.

METHODS

We identified 159 patients who showed acute ischemic stroke while receiving maintenance hemodialysis at our institute between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2020; retrospectively calculated the total SVD score for each patient; and extracted data on demographic factors and comorbidities that could potentially affect recurrent stroke. Death was thought to be a potential competing risk for recurrent stroke because the perceived risk of death was considerably higher than the risk of recurrent stroke in these patients. Thus, we investigated the association between the total SVD score and recurrent stroke by analyzing the competing risk of non-stroke death.

RESULTS

The median (interquartile range) age was 72 (62-80) years. A total of 38 (23.9%) recurrent strokes occurred, and 69 (43.4%) patients died during the 505 patient-year follow-up study. The estimated cumulative incidence of recurrent stroke at five years was 13.3%, 13.4%, 24.1%, 50%, and 60% for scores of 0 to 4, respectively, and the hazard ratio (HR), adjusted for variables that had been reported to be risk factors of stroke in dialysis patients, per unit increase in the score was 1.72 (95% CI, 1.34-2.21; p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

A higher total SVD score was associated with an increased risk of recurrent stroke in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.

Neurological Soft Signs in Non-diabetic End Stage Renal Disease Patients: Evaluation and Prediction

Patients on hemodialysis suffer from several serious complex neurological complications resulting in significant disability. Early detection of these complications during the asymptomatic phase may consent to early intervention to prevent or minimize the disability. To assess and predict neurological soft signs (NSS) in non-diabetic end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis (HD) who do not suffer any apparent neurological symptoms. An analytical, cross-sectional study was done in Hemodialysis units in the Suez Canal University Hospitals. 96 ESRD adult patients on hemodialysis are exposed to: Medical history was taken via personal interview, laboratory tests, and clinical assessment of NSS using Heidelberg scale, and brain CT was done for 50 high-risk patients (hypertensive or those on dialysis for more than 5 years) to detect the presence of any probable neuro-radiological brain abnormalities. 79.2% of our studied ESRD patients on HD had positive NSS with a mean value of total score 8.5 ± 5.9. Strong positive correlations were present between NSS and Hb levels, duration of hemodialysis, and hypertension. CT had revealed no abnormality. NSS represent a reliable, affordable tool for regular bedside assessment of ESRD patients with HD who do not suffer any neurological symptoms for early detection of asymptomatic neurological lesions, especially since the CT brain scan did not show such changes early. The duration of hemodialysis, Hb level, and hypertension were independent predictors for the occurrence of silent neurological lesions in ESRD patients.

Changes in the Risk of Stroke in Dialysis Patients: A Retrospective Analysis over the Last 40 Years

The stroke incidence in hemodialysis (HD) patients is high, but the associated factors remain largely unknown. This study aimed to analyze stroke incidence in HD patients and changes in risk factors. Data of 291 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The cumulative stroke incidences were 21.6% at 10 years and 31.5% at 20. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) significantly increased overall stroke (hazard ratio (HR), 2.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21-4.12; p = 0.001) and ischemic stroke (HR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.00-4.64; p = 0.049). Patients treated with online HDF were less likely to have overall stroke (HR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03-0.56; p = 0.006) and ischemic stroke (HR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.01-0.60; p = 0.014). DN (HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.08-2.27; p = 0.019) and age >80 years at HD initiation (20-49 years old; HR 0.13, 95% CI, 0.05-0.35, p < 0.001 and age 50-79 years; HR 0.42, 95% CI, 0.26-0.66, p < 0.001 (reference: age >80 years)) were significantly associated with stroke and/or death events. Over time, stroke risk increased in HD patients, due to the increasing number of DN. Although dialysis technology has advanced over time, these advances could not overcome other risk factors for stroke. Further increase in stroke and mortality due to aging remains a concern.

An Observational Cohort Study of the 2-Month Use of Regional Citrate Anticoagulation in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients with Cerebral Hemorrhage

Background

Regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) is a recommended anticoagulation alternative for patients at high risk of bleeding while undergoing intermittent hemodialysis. Previous reports implied the risk of citrate application on bone metabolism. It is unclear whether long-term use of RCA is safe for maintenance hemodialysis patients in terms of bone metabolism.

Material/Methods

Seven patients with cerebral hemorrhage were included in the study. Blood samples were collected at baseline and 4 and 8 weeks after treatment. Spent dialysate samples were collected during each mid-week dialysis session, using the partial dialysate collection method. All patients were treated with RCA for 4 to 8 weeks, according to their clinical condition. We assessed bone metabolism-associated parameters, bone turnover markers, and magnesium loss at each dialysis session.

Results

Serum magnesium levels were 1.24±0.13 mmol/L at baseline and significantly decreased to 1.16±0.14 mmol/L after 4 weeks of RCA treatment (P=0.025). Most patients had negative magnesium balance during citrate hemodialysis. Serum total calcium levels did not change significantly after treatment. One bone marker, N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), significantly decreased from 146.07±130.12 mmol/L to 92.42±79.01 mmol/L after citrate treatment (P=0.018). No significant changes were detected in other bone turnover markers.

Conclusions

Relatively long-term RCA treatment may decrease serum magnesium levels due to negative magnesium balance. Bone formation marker PINP seemed to decrease after treatment, while other bone turnover markers did not change significantly. Further investigation is needed to verify the effect of RCA on bone remodeling.