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Background: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are commonly used for the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end stage renal disease (ESRD). Patients often lack an understanding of the potential risks and benefits of ESAs, despite government mandated education on this topic. Decision aids are tools commonly used to discuss important information in health care settings. To address this knowledge gap, we designed this study to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel ESA decision aid at promoting informed shared decision making (ISDM) between patients and providers related to ESA use for CKD- and ESRD-related anemia., Methods: Using the principles of informed shared decision making theory, we designed and piloted an ESA decision aid intended to increase CKD and ESRD patient understanding of the potential risks and benefits of ESAs. Informed by the findings during development, the ESA decision aid was modified and finalized for testing. We will perform a randomized clinical trial to assess if administration of the ESA decision aid improves patient understanding of the risks and benefits of ESA use compared to control patients receiving standard care. Participants with either CKD or ESRD and who are receiving ESAs will be eligible for participation. The primary outcome is patients' score on the Patient Anemia Knowledge in Kidney Disease (PAKKD) survey assessed at enrollment and 3 months after. Secondary outcomes include decisional conflict related to ESAs, and patient satisfaction with provider communication., Discussion: The Anemia Risk Communication for patients with Kidney Disease (ARC-KD) study will assess the effectiveness of a novel ESA decision aid to improve patient understanding of ESA use to manage CKD- and ESRD-related anemia. This decision aid is the first resource targeted to improve patient understanding of anemia management in the kidney health context. With the increasing options available for anemia management, this will serve as an important foundation to evolve in the future to optimize anemia-related shared decision making., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01992926 . Registered 11/14/2013.

Introduction: Parathormone (PTH) and phosphorus, which are considered as uremic toxins, are associated with reduced red cell survival, yet with unproven mechanism. We aimed to assess the relation between PTH and phosphorus levels and eryptosis in patients with CKD5d treated by hemodialysis. Methods: In a cohort of 85 patients with CKD5d treated by conventional hemodialysis, the percent of annexin V‐binding RBCs was assessed by flow cytometry to indicate the percent of eryptotic RBCs. Findings The median percent of annexin V‐binding RBCs was 2.3 (1.4–4.7)%. On linear regression analysis, PTH was independently associated with the percent of annexin V‐binding RBCs (β = 0.003; 95% CI: 0.002–0.004; p < 0.001). The percent of annexin V‐binding RBCs differed significantly in patients with low PTH (<150 pg/mL; 27/85, 31.8%), target PTH (150–600 pg/mL; 32/85, 37.6%), and high PTH (>600 pg/mL; 26/85, 30.6%) groups (1.24 [0.65–1.85]; 2.46 [1.73–4.05]; and 4.82 [3.45–5.61]%, respectively; p < 0.001). Considering the tertiles of the percent of annexin V binding RBCs, PTH increased significantly from 85 (50.6–273) in the 1st to 298.3 (172.8–606.8) in the 2nd and 827.6 (357.4–1171.3) pg/mL in the 3rd tertiles (p < 0.001). Phosphorus and calcium levels as well as the CaxPh product were similar among the three tertiles (p > 0.05). Discussion: Patients with CKD5d express high rates of eryptosis. PTH excess in those patients may result in further eryptosis enhancement, and this represents a potential pathogenic mechanism linking hyperparathyroidism with the anemia of CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic kidney disease is a progressive and irreversible loss of renal function. Anemia is one of the main complications of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) which is linked closely with other complications of the disease. The primary therapy for anemia in these patients is erythropoietin (EPO). The goal of this study was to find the effect of Vitamin D administration in addition to the appropriate dose of EPO in ESRD patients with Vitamin D deficiency. Materials and Methods: This was a double-blind clinical trial on 64 ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis in Amin and Noor Hospitals of Isfahan, Iran. The patients were divided into two groups of control and intervention. The intervention group was given Vitamin D supplements and the control group received placebo. The required dose of EPO to reach the target hemoglobin (Hb) was measured and statistically analyzed. Results: A total number of 32 females and 32 males were included in this study. All the patients in the treatment group were aged between 18 and 76 and the patients in the control group were aged between 21 and 76 years old. There was a significant statistical relationship between Vitamin D administration and the required dose of EPO in both groups (P = 0.013). However, there was no correlation between the concentration of Hb and serum Vitamin D levels. Conclusion: Based on the main finding of this study, the relationship between Vitamin D administration and required dose of EPO seems that the predicted dose of Vitamin D prescribing strategy in Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines is not adequate to achieve normal serum Vitamin D in ESRD patients.

Chronic kidney disease is usually related with anemia and the level of anemia correlates with the severity of renal failure. A chronic kidney disease is complicated by anemia and anemia may contribute to adverse clinical outcomes. No large-scale population data are available for patients with chronic kidney disease regarding prevalence of anemia, subpopulations at risk, and relationships between anemia and renal dysfunctionObjectives:The objective of this study is to determine the frequency of different patterns of anemia in relation to glomerular filtration rate in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease stage II and above patients.Material &Methods:Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting:Medical and Nephrology wards of Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad / Jamshoro. Period:20th January 2013 to 19thDecember 2013.Results:During the study period, total 339 patients of chronic kidney disease with stage II and above patients were enrolled. The mean age ± Standard Deviation and range) of patients was 50.65 ± 11.86 (16 to 80 years, n = 339). 211(62.2%) were male and 128(37.8%) were female. (Male to Female Ratio 1:6). Mean Hemoglobin ± SD was 7.16 ± 3.89 (3.0 to 17.0 g/dL). The frequency of anemia was present in 285(84.1%) patients with mean Hb± SD 6.02 ± 2.1 (g/dL). The mean weight ± SD was 56.50 ± 9.84 (40 to 81 kg). The mean serum creatinine ± SD was 5.63 ± 2.48 (0.9 to 12.0 mg/dL) and we observed that most frequent pattern of anemia was normocytic-normochromic anemia in 216(77.0%) patients, hypochromic-microcytic in 61(18.0%) and macroyctic in 17(5.0%) patients. We alsofound that as anemia increased progressively with declining GFR with mean hemoglobin concentration of 11.78 ±2.8 g/dL in CKD stage 2, 10.14 ± 3.6 g/dL in CKD stage 3, 6.8 ± 3.6 g/dL in CKD stage 4, 7.44 ± 4.0 g/dL in CKD stage 5.Conclusion: Frequency of anemia increases with the progression of stage of chronic kidney disease (decreased GFR) and anemia was most common in stage 5 patients of chronic kidney disease.Most frequent pattern of anemia is normocytic normochromic anemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic kidney disease is a progressive and irreversible loss of renal function. Anemia is one of the main complications of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) which is linked closely with other complications of the disease. The primary therapy for anemia in these patients is erythropoietin (EPO). The goal of this study was to find the effect of Vitamin D administration in addition to the appropriate dose of EPO in ESRD patients with Vitamin D deficiency. Materials and Methods: This was a double-blind clinical trial on 64 ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis in Amin and Noor Hospitals of Isfahan, Iran. The patients were divided into two groups of control and intervention. The intervention group was given Vitamin D supplements and the control group received placebo. The required dose of EPO to reach the target hemoglobin (Hb) was measured and statistically analyzed. Results: A total number of 32 females and 32 males were included in this study. All the patients in the treatment group were aged between 18 and 76 and the patients in the control group were aged between 21 and 76 years old. There was a significant statistical relationship between Vitamin D administration and the required dose of EPO in both groups (P = 0.013). However, there was no correlation between the concentration of Hb and serum Vitamin D levels. Conclusion: Based on the main finding of this study, the relationship between Vitamin D administration and required dose of EPO seems that the predicted dose of Vitamin D prescribing strategy in Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines is not adequate to achieve normal serum Vitamin D in ESRD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (HD), hyporesponsiveness to erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Systemic inflammation is highly prevalent in HD patients and is associated with ESA hyporesponsiveness. Oxidative stress is also highly prevalent in HD patients, but no previous study has determined its association with ESA response. This study assessed the association of plasma markers of oxidative stress and inflammation with ESA resistance in patients undergoing maintenance HD. Methods: We analyzed data from 165 patients enrolled in the Provision of Antioxidant Therapy in Hemodialysis study, a randomized controlled trial evaluating antioxidant therapy in prevalent HD patients. Linear and mixed-effects regression were used to assess the association of baseline and time-averaged high sensitivity F2-isoprostanes, isofurans, C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) with ESA resistance index (ERI), defined as the weekly weight-adjusted ESA dose divided by blood hemoglobin level. Unadjusted models as well as models adjusted for potential confounders were examined. Predicted changes in ERI per month over study follow-up among baseline biomarker quartiles were also assessed. Results: Patients with time-averaged isofurans in the highest quartile had higher adjusted mean ERI compared with patients in the lowest quartile (β = 14.9 ng/ml; 95 % CI 7.70, 22.2; reference group <0.26 ng/ml). The highest quartiles of hsCRP and IL-6 were also associated with higher adjusted mean ERI (β = 10.8 mg/l; 95 % CI 3.52, 18.1 for hsCRP; β = 10.2 pg/ml; 95 % CI 2.98, 17.5 for IL-6). No significant association of F2-isoprostanes concentrations with ERI was observed. Analyses restricted to baseline exposures and ERI showed similar results. Baseline hsCRP, IL-6, and isofurans concentrations in the highest quartiles were associated with greater predicted change in ERI over study follow-up compared to the lowest quartiles (P = 0.008, P = 0.004, and P = 0.04, respectively). There was no association between baseline F2-isoprostanes quartile and change in ERI. Conclusions: In conclusion, higher concentrations of isofurans, hsCRP and IL-6, but not F2-isoprostanes, were associated with greater resistance to ESAs in prevalent HD patients. Further research is needed to test whether interventions that successfully decrease oxidative stress and inflammation in patients undergoing maintenance HD improve ESA responsiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in patients undergoing dialy sis. This article summarizes identified CVD risk factors, elaborates on how risk factors impact patients, and discusses the implications to the nephrology community based on the current evidence-based practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]