Background Protein-energy wasting (PEW) is common in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Studies have assessed the positive effect of oral nutritional supplementation (ONS) or resistance exercise (RE) on nutritional status (NS) markers in patients undergoing HD. Methods The aim of this study was to assess the effect of ONS and RE on NS and the quality of life (QOL) of 36 patients undergoing HD. In a randomized clinical trial, patients were divided into the following two groups: a control group (ONS) that received a can of ONS during their HD sessions and an intervention group (ONS + RE) that received a can of ONS and underwent a 40-min session of RE during their HD sessions. Both interventions lasted 12 weeks. The patients' anthropometric, biochemical, dietetic and bioelectrical impedance measurements as well as their QOL, evaluated using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form, were recorded. Results At baseline, 55.5% of patients presented with PEW according to International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism criteria (20 patients). We found statistically significant changes from baseline in both groups, such as increases in body weight, body mass index, midarm circumference, midarm muscle circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, fat mass percentage, handgrip strength, phase angle and serum albumin. A decrease in the prevalence of PEW was observed in both groups at the end of the intervention. A delta comparison between groups showed no statistically significant differences in the anthropometric and biochemical parameters. No significant improvement was observed in QOL and body composition measured by bioimpedance vector analysis. Dietary energy and protein intake increased significantly during the study period for all patients. Conclusion Oral nutritional supplementation during HD improves NS. The addition of RE during HD does not seem to augment the acute anabolic effects of intradialytic ONS on NS.

Despite a systematic increase in the coverage of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who have received dialytic therapies and transplantation over the past 2 decades, the Mexican health system currently still does not have a program to provide full coverage of ESRD. Our aim was to analyze mortality in patients with ESRD without health insurance. This was a prospective cohort study of 850 patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Risk factors associated with death were calculated using a Cox's proportional hazards model. We used the statistical package SPSS version 22.0 for data analysis. The mean age of patients was 44.8 ± 17.2 years old. At the time of hospital admission, 87.6% of the population did not have a social security program to cover the cost of renal replacement treatment, and 91.3% of families had an income below US$300 per month. During the 3 years of the study, 28.8% of the cohort patients were enrolled in 1 of Mexico's social security programs. The 3-year mortality rate was of 56.7% among patients without access to health insurance, in contrast to 38.2% of patients who had access to a social security program that provided access to renal replacement therapy (P < 0.001). Risk factor analysis revealed that not having health insurance increased mortality (risk ratio: 2.64, 95% confidence intervals: 1.84-3.79; P = 0.001). Mexico needs a coordinated National Kidney Health and Treatment Program. A program of this nature should provide the basis for an appropriate educational and intervention strategy for early detection, prevention, and treatment of patients with advanced chronic kidney disease.

Background: Oral nutritional supplementation (ONS) with or without exercise (EX) could improve muscle mass (MM) in chronic kidney disease. Methods: Patients were randomized into two groups: (1) ONS and (2) ONS + EX. Thigh muscle area (cm²) and intramuscular lipid content via attenuation were evaluated at baseline and 6 months with computed tomography (CT) to measure MM quantity and quality. Physical function was measured by six-minute walk test (6 MWT), gait speed, handgrip strength (HGS), and Time Up and Go test (TUG) at baseline and 3 and 6 months. Results: The ONS group (n= 14) showed statistically significant improvement in gait speed and HGS; ONS + EX group (n = 10) showed differences in gait speed, in 6 MWT, and HGS. In the ANOVA (3 times × 2 groups), no differences were observed between groups. Greater effect sizes in favor to ONS + EX group were observed in the 6 MWT (d = 1.02) and TUG test (d = 0.63). Muscle quality at six months revealed a significant trend in favor of the EX-group (p = 0.054). Conclusions: Both groups had improved physical function, and greater effect sizes were seen in the ONS + EX group for the 6 MWT and TUG test. Neither MM quantity or quality was improved in either group.

Background: Depression is highly prevalent in individuals on hemodialysis, but it is infrequently identified and remains undertreated. In this paper, we present details of the methodology of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at testing the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 5-week positive psychological intervention in individuals on hemodialysis with comorbid depression delivered using immersive virtual reality (VR) technology. Objective: We aim to describe the protocol and design of the Joviality trial whose main objectives are 2-fold: determine the feasibility of the Joviality VR software through metrics capturing rates of recruitment, refusal, retention, noncompliance, and adherence, as well as end-user feedback; and assess preliminary efficacy for outcomes measures of depressive symptoms, psychological well-being and distress, quality of life, treatment adherence, clinical biomarkers, and all-cause hospitalizations. Methods: This 2-arm RCT is scheduled to enroll 84 individuals on hemodialysis with comorbid depression from multiple outpatient centers in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Enrollees will be randomized to the following groups: VR-based Joviality positive psychological intervention or sham VR (2D wildlife footage and nature-based settings with inert music presented using a head-mounted display). To be eligible, individuals must be on hemodialysis for at least 3 months, have Beck Depression Inventory-II scores of ≥11 (ie, indicative of mild-to-severe depressive symptoms), be aged ≥21 years, and be fluent in English or Spanish. The Joviality VR software was built using agile design principles and incorporates fully immersive content, digital avatars, and multiplex features of interactability. Targeted skills of the intervention include noticing positive events, positive reappraisal, gratitude, acts of kindness, and mindful or nonjudgmental awareness. The primary outcomes include metrics of feasibility and acceptability, along with preliminary efficacy focused on decreasing symptoms of depression. The secondary and tertiary outcomes include quality of life, treatment adherence, clinical biomarkers, and all-cause hospitalization rates. There are 4 assessment time points: baseline, immediately after the intervention, 3 months after the intervention, and 6 months after the intervention. We hypothesize that depressive symptoms and hemodialysis-related markers of disease will substantially improve in participants randomized to the VR-based Joviality positive psychology treatment arm compared with those in the attention control condition. Results: This RCT is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and is scheduled to commence participant recruitment in June 2023. Conclusions: This trial will be the first to test custom-built VR software to deliver a positive psychological intervention, chairside, in individuals on hemodialysis to reduce symptoms of depression. Within the context of an RCT using an active control arm, if proven effective, VR technology may become a potent tool to deliver mental health programming in clinical populations during their outpatient treatment sessions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05642364; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05642364 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/45100

People with CKD have a high cardiovascular (CV) disease burden. Physical activity and exercise can improve CV risk, but adaptations are specific to the activity performed. Therefore, changes in individual CV risk factors may be influenced by variables such as the volume and type of exercise. This narrative review will outline the evidence for the effects of physical activity and exercise type on cardiometabolic risk factors in adults and provide insights for patients and clinicians. Current evidence suggests that changes in risk factors such as cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition demonstrate specificity to exercise type across the CKD spectrum. However, limited data for each exercise type within some subgroups ( e.g ., disease stage), trial heterogeneity, and other barriers limit the ability to draw definitive conclusions regarding optimal exercise type for some outcomes. Despite these gaps, evidence supports physical activity and exercise's role in improving CV health in people with CKD. A greater emphasis on activity counseling, multifactorial interventions, and implementation strategies may help to maximize the effects of physical activity and exercise on CV health in people with CKD.