Arterial stiffness and augmentation of aortic blood pressure (BP) measured in office are known cardiovascular risk factors in hemodialysis patients. This study examines the prognostic significance of ambulatory brachial BP, central BP, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and heart rate–adjusted augmentation index [AIx(75)] in this population. A total of 170 hemodialysis patients underwent 48-hour ambulatory monitoring with Mobil-O-Graph-NG during a standard interdialytic interval and followed-up for 28.1±11.2 months. The primary end point was a combination of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke. Secondary end points included: (1) all-cause mortality; (2) cardiovascular mortality; and (3) a combination of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, resuscitation after cardiac arrest, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for heart failure. During follow-up, 37(21.8%) patients died and 46(27.1%) had cardiovascular events. Cumulative freedom from primary end point was similar for quartiles of predialysis-systolic BP (SBP), 48-hour peripheral-SBP, and central-SBP, but was progressively longer for increasing quartiles for 48-hour peripheral-diastolic BP and central-diastolic BP and shorter for increasing quartiles of 48-hour central pulse pressure (83.7%, 71.4%, 69.0%, 62.8% [log-rank P =0.024]), PWV (93.0%, 81.0%, 57.1%, 55.8% [log-rank P <0.001]), and AIx(75) (88.4%, 66.7%, 69.0%, 62.8% [log-rank P =0.014]). The hazard ratios for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and the combined outcome were similar for quartiles of predialysis-SBP, 48-hour peripheral-SBP, and central-SBP, but were increasing with higher ambulatory PWV and AIx(75). In multivariate analysis, 48-hour PWV was the only vascular parameter independently associated with the primary end point (hazard ratios, 1.579; 95% confidence intervals, 1.187–2.102). Ambulatory PWV, AIx(75), and central pulse pressure are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality, whereas office and ambulatory SBP are not. These findings further support that arterial stiffness is the prominent cardiovascular risk factor in hemodialysis.

Objective: Increased BP-variability predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hypertensives. This study aimed to examine short-term BP-variability according to renal function stage. Methods: We included 16 546 patients [10 270 (62.1%) without/6276 (38.9%) with CKD Stage 1–5] from the Spanish Ambulatory-Blood-Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) Registry. Stages of CKD were defined according to K/DIGO criteria, based on estimated glomerular filtration rate calculated with the CKD-EPI equation and albumin-to-creatine ratio. BP-variability was assessed with standard deviation (SD), weighted SD (wSD), coefficient of variation (CV), and average real variability (ARV). Results: Compared with those without CKD, a lower proportion of CKD patients were dippers (51.9 versus 39.6%; P < 0.001). Across CKD stages, a progressive decrease in dipper (from 39.1 to 20.4%; P < 0.001) and increase in riser proportion (from 12.3 to 36.7%; P < 0.001) were noted. Patients with CKD had significantly higher SBP SD, wSD, CV and ARV and lower DBP SD compared with those without CKD (P < 0.001). Within CKD Stages, an increasing trend from Stage 1 towards Stage 5 was observed for SBP SD (from 13.8 ± 3.7 to 15.6 ± 5.4 mmHg), wSD (from 12.0 ± 3.2 to 13.9 ± 5.1 mmHg), CV (from 10.4 ± 2.7 to 11.5 ± 4.1%), ARV (from 9.9 ± 2.3 to 11.4 ± 3.2 mmHg); P < 0.001 for all comparisons. DBP SD (P < 0.001), wSD and ARV (P = 0.002) were slightly decreasing, whereas DBP CV increased from Stage 1 to Stage 4 (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, male gender, older age, abdominal obesity, diabetes, number of antihypertensive medications, and clinic SBP were independent factors for higher SBP 24-h ARV in CKD. Conclusion: An increase in short-term SBP-variability was present with advancing CKD stages in a large cohort. This increased SBP-variability may be involved in the sharp elevation of cardiovascular risk with worsening renal function.

Background: The association of several comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, heart failure and chronic kidney or liver disease, with acute kidney injury (AKI) is well established. Evidence on the effect of sex and socioeconomic factors are scarce. This study was designed to examine the association of sex and socioeconomic factors with AKI and AKI-related mortality and further to evaluate the additional relationship with other possible risk factors for AKI occurrence.Methods: We included 3534 patients (1878 males with mean age 61.1 ± 17.7 and 1656 females 1656 with mean age 60.3 ± 20.0 years) admitted to Queen Elizabeth or Heartlands Hospitals, Birmingham, between October 2013 and January 2016. Patients were prospectively followed-up for a median 47.70 [IQR, 18.20] months. Study-endpoints were incidence of AKI, based on KDIGO-AKI Guidelines, and all-cause mortality. Data acquisition was automated, and information on mortality was collected from the Hospital Episode Statistics and Office of National Statistics. Socioeconomic status was evaluated with the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).Results: Incidence of AKI was higher in men compared to women (11.3% vs 7.1%;P< 0.001). Model regression analysis revealed significant association of male sex with higher AKI risk (OR, 1.659; 95% CI, 1.311–2.099;P< 0.001); this association remained significant after adjustment for age, eGFR, IMD, smoking, alcohol consumption, ethnicity, existing comorbidities and treatment (OR, 1.599; 95% CI, 1.215–2.103;P= 0.001). All-cause mortality was higher in patients with compared to those without AKI. Males with AKI had higher mortality rates in the first 6-month and 1-year periods after the index AKI event. The association of male sex with mortality was independent of socioeconomic factors but was not statistically significant after adjustment for existing comorbidities.Conclusions: Men are at higher risk of AKI and this association is independent from existing risk factors for AKI. The association between male sex and AKI-related mortality was not independent from existing comorbidities. A better understanding of factors associated with AKI may help accurately identify high-risk patients.

Diabetic kidney disease is a serious microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in western countries. New therapeutic agents are needed to delay its onset and progression. Recent literature suggests that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors may have renoprotective effects. Our aim was to systematically review the effect of SGLT-2 inhibitors on albuminuria and proteinuria in patients with diabetes mellitus. Studies were identified by search in major electronic databases, clinical trial registers, and sources of gray literature. We included randomized controlled trials of currently approved SGLT-2 inhibitors with a duration of at least 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the between-groups difference in the proportional (%) change of albuminuria or proteinuria between baseline and end of treatment. SGLT-2 inhibitors were associated with statistically significant reduction in albuminuria compared to placebo or active control [weighted mean difference (WMD) −25.39%, 95% confidence interval (CI) −34.17 to −16.62] (15 studies, N = 17 540 patients). When trials were stratified according to the level of baseline albuminuria, reduction in urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio was more prominent in randomized controlled trials in patients with moderately (WMD −40.78%, 95% CI −63.21 to −18.34) or severely increased albuminuria (WMD −36.40%, 95% CI −51.53 to −21.26). Only one study reported data for urine protein-to-creatinine ratio. Finally, SGLT-2 inhibitors reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 4.43 mmHg (95% CI −5.24 to −3.63) and 1.81 mmHg (95% CI −2.38 to −1.23), respectively.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in patients receiving hemodialysis. Cardiovascular events in these patients demonstrate a day-of-week pattern;i.e.,they occur more commonly during the last day of the long interdialytic interval and the first session of the week. The hemodialysis process causes acute decreases in cardiac chamber size and pulmonary circulation loading and acute diastolic dysfunction, possibly through myocardial stunning and other non–myocardial-related mechanisms; systolic function, in contrast, is largely unchanged. During interdialytic intervals volume overload, acid-base, and electrolyte shifts, as well as arterial and myocardial wall changes, result in dilatation of right cardiac chambers and pulmonary circulation overload. Recent studies suggest that these alterations are more extended during the long interdialytic interval or the first dialysis session of the week and are associated with excess volume overload or removal, respectively, thus adding a mechanism for the day-of-week pattern of mortality in patients receiving hemodialysis. This review summarizes the existing data from echocardiographic studies of cardiac morphology and function during the hemodialysis session, as well as during the interdialytic intervals.