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Aim: We aimed to study the relationships of loop diuretic dose with renal function and clinical outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure (HF).Methods and Results: Loop diuretic dose at baseline was recorded in patients included in the Controlled Rosuvastatin Multinational Trial in Heart Failure (CORONA). The relationship to change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over time and to the first occurrence of the composite outcome of cardiovascular (CV) death or hospitalization owing to HF was examined in propensity score matched cohorts. Of the 5011 patients, 2550, 745, and 449 were receiving >80 mg (high), 41-80 mg (medium) and ≤40 mg (low) of loop diuretics in furosemide equivalent daily dosages, respectively, which were used to assemble 229, 385, and 1045 pairs of propensity-matched high, medium, and low dose cohorts. Compared with matched no loop diuretic groups, eGFR declined 0.3 ± 0.2, 0.3 ± 0.3 and 1.2 ± 0.5 mL/min/1.73 m(2) /year in the low-, medium-, and high-dose groups, respectively. Compared with matched no loop diuretic groups, hazard ratios (HR) (95% confidence intervals) for outcome associated with low-, medium- and high-dose groups were 1.71 (1.41-2.06), 1.99 (1.50-2.64), and 2.94 (1.95-4.41), respectively. Higher loop diuretic dose was particularly associated with increased risk for hospitalization owing to HF: HR 4.80 (2.75-8.37), P < 0.001.Conclusions: The use of loop diuretics was associated with a slightly greater rate of decline in eGFR, which did not vary significantly by diuretic dose.Loop diuretic dose was associated with higher risks of (CV) mortality and predominantly hospitalization owing to HF, which appeared to be higher among those receiving higher daily doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immunosuppression with calcineurin inhibitors remains the mainstay of treatment after kidney transplantation; however, long-term use of these drugs may be associated with nephrotoxicity. In this regard, the current approach is to optimise available immunosuppressive regimens to reduce the calcineurin inhibitor dose while protecting renal function without affecting the efficacy. The ATHENA study is designed to evaluate renal function in two regimens: an everolimus and reduced calcineurin inhibitor-based regimen versus a standard treatment protocol with mycophenolic acid and tacrolimus in de novo kidney transplant recipients.Method/design: ATHENA is a 12-month, multicentre, open-label, prospective, randomised, parallel-group study in de novo kidney transplant recipients (aged 18 years or older) receiving renal allografts from deceased or living donors. Eligible patients are randomised (1:1:1) prior to transplantation to one of the following three treatment arms: everolimus (starting dose 1.5 mg/day; C0 3-8 ng/mL) with cyclosporine or everolimus (starting dose 3 mg/day; C0 3-8 ng/mL) with tacrolimus or mycophenolic acid (enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium at 1.44 g/day or mycophenolate mofetil at 2 g/day) with tacrolimus; in combination with corticosteroids. All patients receive induction therapy with basiliximab. The primary objective is to demonstrate non-inferiority of renal function (eGFR by the Nankivell formula) in one of the everolimus arms compared with the standard group at month 12 post transplantation. The key secondary objective is to assess the incidence of treatment failure, defined as biopsy-proven acute rejection, graft loss, or death, among the treatment groups. Other objectives include assessment of the individual components of treatment failure, incidence and severity of viral infections, incidence and duration of delayed graft function, incidence of indication biopsies, slow graft function and wound healing complications, and overall safety and tolerability. Exploratory objectives include evaluation of left ventricular hypertrophy assessed by the left ventricular mass index, evolution of human leukocyte antigen and non-human leukocyte antigen antibodies, and a cytomegalovirus substudy.Discussion: As one of the largest European multicentre kidney transplant studies, ATHENA will determine whether a de novo everolimus-based regimen can preserve renal function versus the standard of care. This study further assesses a number of clinical issues which impact long-term outcomes post transplantation; hence, its results will have a major clinical impact.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01843348, date of registration--18 April 2013; EUDRACT number: 2011-005238-21, date of registration--20 March 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hyperuricemia is a risk factor for adverse renal outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease. This study investigated the effect of uric acid on renal function in a community-based population. Methods We used a nationwide database of 165 847 subjects (aged 29–74, male 40%) who participated in the annual ‘Specific Health Check and Guidance in Japan’ checkup between 2008 and 2010; we examined the relationship between serum uric acid levels at baseline and 2-year change in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) obtained by using the Japanese equation. Results After adjusting for possible confounders, the eGFR change was inversely correlated with uric acid at baseline. In the multivariable analysis, the decline in eGFR was significantly more rapid in subjects with the slight increase in uric acid (males ≥5.7 mg/dL, females ≥4.4 mg/dL), and the risk for incidental renal insufficiency (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) was increased at uric acid of ≥6.3 mg/dL in males and ≥5.5 mg/dL in females, compared with the lowest quintile. The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the effect of uric acid on eGFR changes was significant, especially in females, those with proteinuria and diabetes and those without alcohol consumption. Conclusion This study showed that serum uric acid is independently associated with a more rapid decline of eGFR and incident renal insufficiency, and that a slight increase within the normal range of serum uric acid might be a risk for renal damage in the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We sought to determine the association between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and graft function in renal transplant recipients. Design and Methods: We enrolled 577 kidney transplant recipients aged 18-74 years (response rate 87%). Recipients with multiple or multi-organ transplantation, creatine kinase >200 U/L, acute renal failure or cellular rejection ( n = 64), and without creatinine assessments in 3 months pre-enrollment ( n = 127) were excluded. The questionnaire included Euro QOL 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), Health Utility Index III (HUI-III), Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36 (KDQOL36) which include a generic section (RAND SF-12). Data on medical conditions, therapy regimens, and biochemistry results were extracted from clinical charts. We used general linear models adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics to assess the association between HRQOL and severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Results: Patients with more advanced CKD were more likely to be African-American, covered by public insurance, more likely to have shorter time after transplantation, higher phosphorus and lower hemoglobin, serum albumin, and calcium levels. All HRQOL scales were inversely associated with CKD severity. All associations were robust to adjustment for possible confounders. Conclusions: Several health-related quality of life dimensions may be affected by poor renal function after transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]