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In non-haemodialysis (HD) patients, increased epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness was significantly associated with adverse cardiovascular (CV) events. This study was designed to investigate whether EAT thickness was a useful parameter in the prediction of adverse CV events in HD patients. In addition, we also evaluated the major correlates of EAT thickness in these patients. In 189 routine HD patients, we performed a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic examination with assessment of EAT thickness. The definition of CV events included CV death, non-fatal stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction, peripheral artery disease, and hospitalization for heart failure. The follow-up period for CV events was 2.5 ± 0.7 years. Thirty-one CV events were documented. The multivariable analysis demonstrated that older age, smoking status, the presence of diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, and low albumin levels were independently correlated with adverse CV events. However, increased EAT thickness was not associated with adverse CV events (P = 0.631). Additionally, older age, female sex, low haemoglobin, and low early diastolic mitral annular velocity were correlated with high EAT thickness in the univariable analysis. In the multivariable analysis, older age and female sex were still correlated with high EAT thickness. In conclusion, high EAT thickness was associated with older age and female sex in the multivariable analysis in our HD patients. However, EAT thickness was not helpful in predicting adverse CV events in such patients. Further large-scale studies are necessary to verify this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health issue and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. How to identify the high-risk CKD patients is very important to improve the long-term outcome. CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores are clinically useful scores to evaluate the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, there was no literature discussing about the usefulness of CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores for cardiovascular (CV) and all-cause mortality prediction in CKD patients. This longitudinal study enrolled 437 patients with CKD. CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were calculated for each patient. CV and all-cause mortality data were collected for long-term outcome prediction. The median follow-up to mortality was 91 (25th–75th percentile: 59–101) months. There were 66 CV mortality and 165 all-cause mortality. In addition to age and heart rate, CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores (both P value < 0.001) were significant predictors of CV and all-cause mortality in the multivariate analysis. Besides, in direct comparison of multivariate model, basic model + CHA2DS2-VASc score had a better additive predictive value for all-cause mortality than basic model + CHADS2 score (P = 0.031). In conclusion, our study showed both of CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were significant predictors for long-term CV and all-cause mortality in CKD patients and CHA2DS2-VASc score had a better predictive value than CHADS2 score for all-cause mortality in direct comparison of multivariate model. Therefore, using CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores to screen CKD patients may be helpful in identifying the high-risk group with increased mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of renal systolic time intervals measured by electrocardiographic gated Doppler ultrasonography for predicting adverse cardiac events. This longitudinal observation study enrolled 205 patients. Renal systolic time intervals, including pre-ejection period (PEP) and ejection time (ET), and ratio of renal PEP to ET, were measured by electrocardiographic gated Doppler ultrasound. The 14 adverse cardiac events identified in this population included 9 cardiac deaths and 5 hospitalizations for heart failure during an average follow up of 30.9 months (25th-75th percentile: 30-33 months). Renal PEP (hazard ratio = 1.023, P = 0.001), renal ET (hazard ratio = 0.975, P = 0.001) and renal PEP/ET (per 0.01 unit increase, hazard ratio = 1.060, P < 0.001) were associated with poor cardiac outcomes. The addition of renal PEP/ET to a Cox model containing important clinical variables and renal resistive index further improved the value in predicting adverse cardiac events (Chi-square increase, 9.996; P = 0.002). This study showed that parameters of intra-renal hemodynamics were potential predictors of adverse cardiac outcomes. However, the generalizability of these indicators need to be investigated in future large-scale studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]