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Purpose: Brazil has one of the world's highest numbers of patients on hemodialysis (HD). Most dialysis centers are private and perform HD for patients with private and public health insurance. We compared 1-year survival between patients initiating chronic HD with public and private health insurance., Methods: This is an HD register-based retrospective cohort. Adult patients starting HD from January 2011 to December 2021 were included. Survival analysis was stratified according to the period entered in the HD register. Multivariate Cox regression focused on 1-year survival differences between private and public patients., Results: In the final sample (n = 5114), 68.5% of participants had public and 31.3% to private health insurance, with overall 1-year survival of 92.8% and 89.9%, respectively (p = 0.002). Crude analysis showed a slightly higher survival rate among patients with public health insurance than those with private health insurance (91 vs. 87%, p = 0.030) in the first period (2019-21). However, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) did not remain significantly higher for patients with private health insurance compared to those with public health insurance (HR = 1.07; 95% CI 0.80-1.41; p = 0.651), even after propensity score matching of the groups by several baseline features., Conclusion: Brazilian chronic HD patients funded by either private health plans or the public system have a similar 1-year mortality risk after controlling for several sociodemographic and clinical parameters., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Introduction: The importance of dietitians in dialysis units is indisputable and mandatory in Brazil, but little is known about the practices adopted by these professionals., Objective: To know practices adopted in routine nutritional care, focusing on nutritional assessment tools and treatment strategies for people at risk or diagnosed with malnutrition., Methodology: Electronic questionnaire disseminated on social media and messaging applications. It included questions that covered dietitians' demographic and occupational profile characteristics and of the dialysis unit, use and frequency of nutritional assessment tools, nutritional intervention strategies in cases of risk or diagnosis of malnutrition, prescription and access to oral supplements., Results: Twenty four percent of the Brazilian dialysis units (n = 207) responded electronically. The most used nutritional assessment tools with or without a pre-established frequency were dietary surveys (96%) and Subjective Global Assessment (83%). The strategies in cases of risk or presence of malnutrition used most frequently (almost always/always) were instructions to increase energy and protein intake from foods (97%), and increasing the frequency of visits (88%). The frequency of prescribing commercial supplements with standard and specialized formulas was quite similar. The availability of dietary supplements by the public healthcare system to patients varied between regions., Conclusion: Most dietitians use various nutritional assessment tools and intervention strategies in cases of risk or malnutrition; however, the frequency of use of such tools and strategies varied substantially.

In the past decades, an epidemic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been associated with environmental and occupational factors (heat stress from high workloads in hot temperatures and exposure to chemicals, such as pesticides and metals), which has been termed CKD of non-traditional origin (CKDnt). This descriptive review aims to present recent evidence about heat stress, pesticides, and metals as possible causes of CKDnt and provide an overview of the related Brazilian regulation, enforcement, and health surveillance strategies. Brazilian workers are commonly exposed to extreme heat conditions and other CKDnt risk factors, including increasing exposure to pesticides and metals. Furthermore, there is a lack of adequate regulation (and enforcement), public policies, and strategies to protect the kidney health of workers, considering the main risk factors. CKDnt is likely to be a significant cause of CKD in Brazil, since CKD's etiology is unknown in many patients and several conditions for its development are present in the country. Further epidemiological studies may be conducted to explore causal associations and estimate the impact of heat, pesticides, and metals on CKDnt in Brazil. Moreover, public policies should prioritize reducing workers´ exposure and promoting their health and safety.

Introduction: The Brazilian Dialysis Survey (BDS) is an annual national survey about patients on chronic dialysis that contributes to health policies., Objective: To report the 2022 epidemiological data from the BDS of the Brazilian Society of Nephrology (BSN)., Methods: A survey was carried out in Brazilian chronic dialysis centers using an online questionnaire that included clinical and epidemiological aspects of patients on chronic dialysis, dialysis therapy data, and dialysis center characteristics., Results: Overall, 28% (n = 243) of the centers answered the questionnaire. In July 2022, the estimated total number of patients on dialysis was 153,831. The estimated prevalence and incidence rates of patients per million population (pmp) were 758 and 214, respectively. Of the prevalent patients, 95.3% were on hemodialysis (HD, 4.6% of these on hemodiafiltration) and 4.7% on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Only 1.3% of patients were not vaccinated against COVID-19. The prevalence of anemia (Hb < 10g/dL) was 27% and hyperphosphatemia (P > 5.5mg/dL) reached 30%. The estimated overall crude annual mortality rate was 17.1%., Conclusions: The absolute number and prevalence rate of patients on chronic dialysis continue to increase. A growing number of patients were receiving hemodiafiltration. The mortality rate decreased, probably due to the end of COVID-19 pandemic. The conclusions were drawn in the context of relatively low voluntary participation, which imposed methodological limitations on our estimates.

Objective: Sex-specific differences in the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease, such as higher prevalence of women on pre-dialysis and men on chronic dialysis treatment, have been reported worldwide. In this regard, data from non-high-income countries are scarce. We aimed to compare the demographic, clinical, and dialysis characteristics of incident dialysis patients, both men and women, in a large cohort of Brazilian patients over a 12-year period., Methods: This was a multicentric retrospective cohort study coordinated by the Brazilian Society of Nephrology. The study included all adult incident dialysis patients in the Brazilian Dialysis Registry from January 2011 to December 2022. The variables studied encompassed age, skin color, education, CKD etiology, predialysis nephrologist care, dialysis characteristics, and geographic region. Additionally, the sample was analyzed for each of the three 4-year periods over the 12 years of data collection., Results: A total of 24,632 incident dialysis patients were included. Men were 59.1% of the dialysis population, remaining stable over the three 4-year periods. Besides other differences, women started dialysis younger (58.5 ± 16.2 years vs 59.5 ± 14.4 years; p  < 0.001), had a lower educational level (less than 8 years at school: 54% vs 44%; p  < 0.001), received more predialysis nephrologist care (46.2% vs 44.2%; p  = 0.04), and had a higher prevalence of peritoneal dialysis (4.4% vs 3.5%; p  = 0.03)., Conclusion: We consistently observed a higher prevalence of men on dialysis and differences in demographic, clinical, and dialysis characteristics. The underlying reasons for these sex differences still necessitate further clarification., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Introduction: In 2004, the Ministry of Health stipulated that dialysis centers were required to have at least one dietitian on their staff. However, the regulation did not include recommendations regarding the number of dietitians or the workload based on the number of patients assisted., Objective: To describe the demographic and occupational profiles of dietitians working in dialysis centers in Brazil., Methodology: An electronic questionnaire was disseminated in social media and messaging apps with questions about the demographic and occupational profile of dietitians working in dialysis centers and matters related to patient care., Results: A total of 207 questionnaires were answered, covering 24% of the dialysis centers in Brazil. More than half of the dietitians (58%) had worked for more than five years in dialysis centers, and 83% reported additional training in Nephrology. The median (interquartile range) number of patients per monthly working hour was 1.6 (1.0-2.3). Considering all dialysis centers, 64% of the patients were seen at least once a month. Differences in demographic/occupational profiles and patient care were associated with workload, the main source of dialysis funding, and Brazilian geographical region., Conclusion: Most dietitians were experienced and trained in Nephrology. Substantial variability was found in the number of patients per dietitian workload, and proportion of patients receiving monthly nutritional care. Further studies are needed to discuss the demands of dietitians, dialysis centers, and patients.

Some chronic diseases, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), may be associated with poor outcomes, including a high rate of hospitalization and death after COVID-19 infection. In addition to the vaccination program, diet intervention is essential for boosting immunity and preventing complications. A healthy diet containing bioactive compounds may help mitigate inflammatory responses and oxidative stress caused by COVID-19. In this review, we discuss dietary interventions for mitigating COVID-19 complications, including in persons with CKD, which can worsen COVID-19 symptoms and its clinical outcomes, while diet may help patients with CKD to resist the ravages of COVID-19 by improving the immune system, modulating gut dysbiosis, mitigating COVID-19 complications, and reducing hospitalization and mortality. The concept of food as medicine, also known as culinary medicine, for patients with CKD can be extrapolated to COVID-19 infection because healthy foods and nutraceuticals have the potential to exert an important antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant role., (Copyright © 2023 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Brazil has a vast territory divided into five geographic regions with important differences in sociodemographic indices. We aimed to present and compare socio-demographic characteristics, biochemical results, and drug prescription of patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD) treatment in the five geographic regions., Methods: We evaluated data from the Brazilian Dialysis Registry of all adult patients undergoing chronic HD in 2021. Variables included sociodemographic characteristics, serum levels of phosphate, calcium, and albumin, hemoglobin, urea reduction rate, and prescription of phosphate binders, erythropoietin, and intravenous iron. Data from the North and Northeast regions were combined into one group., Results: A total of 13,792 patients (57.9 ± 16.0 years old, 58.5% male, median HD vintage of 31 (11-66) months) from 73 dialysis centers were analyzed. Regional distribution was 59.5% in the Southeast; 21.7% in the South; 5.9% in the Midwest; and 12.9% in the North/Northeast. Sociodemographic features, biochemical results, and medication prescriptions differed across regions. The prevalence of elderly patients was lower in the Midwest and North/Northeast. The South region had the highest prevalence of hyperphosphatemia (41.2%) and urea reduction rate <65% (24.8%), while anemia and hypoalbuminemia were more prevalent in the Southeast, 32.7% and 11.6%, respectively., Conclusion: We found differences in socio-demographics, clinical features, and drug prescriptions across Brazilian geographic regions. Some findings reflect the socio-demographic diversity of the country, while others deserve further elucidation.

Introduction: A phenomenon called the "obesity paradox" has consistently been reported in several cohorts of patients on chronic hemodialysis. In this setting, a higher body mass index (BMI) is paradoxically associated with better survival. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of BMI on mortality in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis using the Brazilian Dialysis Registry., Methods: This was a retrospective national cohort study with data on incident hemodialysis patients collected between January 2011 to December 2018. Those aged <18 or > 80 years were excluded from the study. The variables studied were the clinical and laboratory data regularly collected at the dialysis units. The variable of primary interest was BMI, represented as the median of the entire dialysis treatment and stratified into four ranges according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. The primary outcome was death within 4 years. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to test associations with mortality., Findings: The analyzed sample consisted of 5489 patients from 73 centers in five regions of the country. Of these, 5.9% were underweight, 48.3% were of normal weight, 31.0% were overweight, and 14.7% were obese. The 4-year survival rates in these BMI ranges were 58%, 70%, 75%, and 80%, respectively. The probability of survival for each BMI extract was significantly different from that in the normal-weight range (p < 0.05). In the fully adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression model, BMI > 24.9 kg/m 2 remained an independent protective factor for mortality (HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.62-0.95, p = 0.016)., Discussion: In Brazil, being overweight and obese are protective factors for survival in the chronic hemodialysis population., (© 2023 International Society for Hemodialysis.)

Purpose: Few studies have evaluated patients' characteristics and survival by dialysis modality in Brazil. We evaluated changes in dialysis modality and its survival in the country., Methods: This is a retrospective database of a cohort with incident chronic dialysis patients from Brazil. Patients' characteristics and one-year multivariate survival risk were assessed considering dialysis modality from 2011 to 2016 and 2017 to 2021. Survival analysis was also performed on a reduced sample after adjustment using propensity score matching., Results: Of the 8295 dialysis patients, 5.3% were on peritoneal dialysis (PD) and 94.7% on hemodialysis (HD). PD patients had higher BMI, schooling and the prevalence of elective dialysis starting in the first period than those on HD. In the second period, PD patients were predominantly women, non-white, from the Southeast region, and funded by the public health system, having more frequent elective dialysis starting and predialysis nephrologist follow-ups than those on HD. There was no difference in mortality comparing PD and HD (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.39-2.42; and HR 1.17, 95% CI 0.63-2.16; first and second period, respectively). This non-significantly different survival between both dialysis methods was also found in the reduced matched sample. Higher age and non-elective dialysis initiation were associated with higher mortality. In the second period, the lack of predialysis nephrologist follow-up and living in the Southeast region increased the mortality risk., Conclusion: Some sociodemographic factors have changed according to dialysis modality over the last decade in Brazil. The one-year survival of the two dialysis methods was comparable., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

High energy intake combined with low physical activity generates positive energy balance, which, when maintained, favours obesity, a highly prevalent morbidity linked to development of non-communicable chronic diseases, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). Among many factors contributing to disproportionately high energy intakes, and thereby to the obesity epidemic, the type and degree of food processing play an important role. Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are industrialized and quite often high-energy-dense products with added sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and food additives formulated to be palatable or hyperpalatable. UPFs can trigger an addictive eating behaviour and is typically characterized by an increase in energy intake. Furthermore, high consumption of UPFs, a hallmark of a Western diet, results in diets with poor quality. A high UPF intake is associated with higher risk for CKD. In addition, UPF consumption by patients with CKD is likely to predispose and/or to exacerbate uraemic metabolic derangements, such as insulin resistance, metabolic acidosis, hypertension, dysbiosis, hyperkalaemia and hyperphosphatemia. Global sales of UPFs per capita increased in all continents in recent decades. This is an important factor responsible for the nutrition transition, with home-made meals being replaced by ready-to-eat products. In this review we discuss the potential risk of UPFs in activating hedonic eating and their main implications for health, especially for kidney health and metabolic complications of CKD. We also present various aspects of consequences of UPFs on planetary health and discuss future directions for research to bring awareness of the harms of UPFs within the CKD scenario., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the ERA.)

Introduction: The Brazilian Dialysis Survey (BDS) is an important source of national data about people on chronic dialysis that contributes to the formulation of health policies regarding kidney failure., Objective: To report the 2021 epidemiological data from the BDS of the Brazilian Society of Nephrology (BSN)., Methods: A survey was carried out in Brazilian chronic dialysis centers using an online questionnaire covering clinical and epidemiological aspects of patients in chronic dialysis, data on dialysis therapy, characteristics of dialysis centers, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2021., Results: Thirty percent (n = 252) of the centers answered the questionnaire. In July 2021, the estimated total number of patients on dialysis was 148,363. The estimated prevalence and incidence rates of patients per million population (pmp) were 696 and 224, respectively. Of the prevalent patients, 94.2% were on hemodialysis (HD) (1.8% of these on hemodiafiltration), and 5.8% on peritoneal dialysis (PD); 21% were on the transplant waiting list. The incidence rate of confirmed COVID-19 between January and July 2021 was 1,236/10,000 dialysis patients, and the case-fatality rate reached 25.5%. Up to July 2021, 88.6% of patients had received at least one dose of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The estimated overall and COVID-19 crude annual mortality rates were 22.3% and 5.3%, respectively., Conclusion: The absolute number and the prevalence rate of patients on chronic dialysis continue to increase. Most dialysis patients were vaccinated against COVID-19 during the year. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated to the overall mortality rate.

Introduction and Objectives: To minimize our peritoneal dialysis (PD) population exposure to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in April 2020 we developed and implemented a telemedicine program. In this investigation, we aimed to compare the hospitalization rates and metabolic disorders in patients undergoing PD 6 months before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and telemedicine implementation., Materials and Methods: This single-center retrospective analysis included all active prevalent patients undergoing PD from April 2020. Dialysis records were reviewed to obtain clinical, demographic, laboratory, appointment, and hospitalization data. We compared hospitalization rates (total, non-PD-related, and PD-related), hospitalization-associated factors, and metabolic disorders (hemoglobin, serum potassium, and serum phosphate) 6 months before and after the pandemic., Results: Our sample comprised 103 participants. During the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods, there were 13 and 27 hospital admissions, respectively. The total hospitalization incident rate ratio (IRR) was 2.48 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-4.75). PD-related hospitalizations increased from 3 to 15 episodes (IRR=7.25 [95% CI, 2.11-24.78]). In the pre-pandemic period, the educational level was lower in participants hospitalised due to PD-related issues than in participants not hospitalised. In the post-pandemic period, only sex distribution differed between patients not hospitalised and those hospitalised due to non-PD-related issues. Only serum potassium levels changed significantly in the post-pandemic period (4.79±0.48 vs. 4.93±0.54mg/dL; P<0.01)., Conclusion: This study showed a significant increase in hospitalization rates after the COVID-19 pandemic period and telemedicine implementation, mainly due to PD-related infectious causes. Strategies to improve distance monitoring assistance are needed for the PD population., (Copyright © 2021 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Brazil is the third country globally in dialysis patients. Little is known about the impact of the type of health insurance on the outcome of these patients after COVID-19., Methods: We analyzed comorbidities, sociodemographic factors, and dialysis-related parameters from a retrospective cohort study of 1866 Brazilian chronic hemodialysis patients with COVID-19 from Feb 2020-July 2021. We evaluated the influence of health insurance (private vs. public) on the intensive care unit admission and 90 day fatality risk., Results: From 1866 hemodialysis patients, 455 (24%) were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 350 (19%) died. The mean age was 57.5 years, 88% had public health insurance. Crude case-fatality rate was not different between groups (private vs. public risk ratio 1.11; 95% CI 0.82-1.52, p = 0.498). In fully adjusted multivariate models, patients with private health insurance did not have a higher chance to be admitted to an intensive care unit (odds ratio 0.97; 95% CI 0.63-1.50, p = 0.888), but they presented a lower death risk (hazard ratio 0.56; 95% CI 0.37-0.85, p = 0.006)., Conclusion: The type of health insurance did not influence the access of hemodialysis patients with COVID-19 to an intensive care unit, but patients with private health insurance had a lower mortality risk., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Introduction: Hyperkalemia is a common multifactorial condition of people on chronic dialysis and is associated with mortality. We aimed to inform and discuss the prevalence of hyperkalemia in a large population of chronic dialysis patients in Brazil and its geographic regions., Methods: Prevalence of hyperkalemia (serum potassium ≥6.0 mEq/L) was assessed in the Brazilian Dialysis Survey (BDS) in July 2019, an online survey of voluntary participation in which all dialysis centers registered at the Brazilian Society of Nephrology were invited., Results: Approximately one-third (n=263 of 805) of the Brazilian dialysis clinics participated. The prevalence of hyperkalemia in the whole population was 16.1% (n=7,457 of 46,193; 95%CI=15.8-16.5%,), and varied from 12.1% in the North to 18.7% in the Northeast., Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of hyperkalemia in a large Brazilian chronic dialysis population. A nationwide investigation of risk factors, treatment options, and whether this high prevalence contributes to dialysis mortality is warranted.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of predialysis dietitian follow-up in a large cohort of Brazilian dialysis patients., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated data from all incident adult dialysis patients included in the Brazilian Dialysis Registry from January 2011 to September 2021. Predialysis dietitian follow-up was classified as present when a period more than 6 months of dietitian care was reported. Gender, age, skin color, education, body mass index, chronic kidney disease etiology, first chronic dialysis program, healthcare provider, and geographic regions were tested in logistic regression models., Results: Ten thousand three hundred and eighty two patients met the inclusion criteria and 1,254 (12.1%) reported predialysis dietitian follow-up, most of them referred by a nephrologist (94.2%). The independent determinants of dietitian follow-up were older age, white skin color, higher education level, not having diabetes, living in North/Northeast and South (compared to Southeast), and having a nonpublic healthcare provider. When considered only patients under a predialysis care of a nephrologist, higher education, hemodialysis as the first dialysis modality, and living in the North/Northeast and South regions (compared with Southeast) were associated with dietitian follow-up., Conclusion: Predialysis dietitian follow-up for more than 6 months in a country where the public health system is the main dialysis provider is still very low. The nephrologist is pivotal for referral to dietitians but socioeconomic factors also seem to play a role in this regard., (Copyright © 2022 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aims of the study are to re-evaluate kidney function in workers exposed and not exposed to heat stress after 2 years and to compare kidney function cross-shift using creatinine and cystatin C., Methods: Participants were workers from a metallurgical industry. The clinical and biochemical markers of hydration and kidney function were evaluated before and after a single shift in work., Results: We included 14 workers (6 in the heat group and 8 in the control group). The serum creatinine levels did not change during the follow-up period. Cross-shift, creatinine-based eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) decreased, and cystatin C-based eGFR was maintained in the heat and control groups., Conclusions: Workers exposed to heat stress maintained their kidney function after a 2-year follow-up. Cystatin C is a better kidney function marker than creatinine for cross-shift assessments in this setting., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: L.M., R.P.-F., and F.B.N. have received travel grants from Danone Research to attend the Hydration for Health Scientific Conference. M.A.V. works at Pro-Rim Foundation., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Incremental peritoneal dialysis (PD) is characterized as less than a "standard dose" PD prescription. Compared to standard treatment, it has many potential advantages, including better preservation of residual renal function, a lower risk of peritonitis, and a decreased care delivery burden while reducing the environmental impact and economic cost. Unplanned PD can be defined when treatment starts up to 14 days after catheter insertion and is recognized as a safe and feasible clinical approach. In this perspective paper, we briefly discuss both strategies and share our experience and clinical routine in managing incremental PD after unplanned initiation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Calice-Silva and Nerbass.)

Introduction: National data on chronic dialysis treatment are essential to support the development of health policies aimed at improving the treatment for thousands of people., Objective: To report epidemiological data from the 2020 Brazilian Dialysis Survey, sponsored by the Brazilian Society of Nephrology., Methods: A survey was carried out in Brazilian chronic dialysis centers using an online questionnaire for the year, covering clinical and epidemiological aspects of patients in a chronic dialysis program, data on dialysis therapy, characteristics of dialysis units and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic., Results: 235 (28%) of the centers responded to the questionnaire. In July 2020, the estimated total number of patients on dialysis was 144,779. The estimated prevalence and incidence rates of patients per million population (pmp) were 684 and 209, respectively. Of the prevalent patients, 92.6% were on hemodialysis (HD) and 7.4% were on peritoneal dialysis (PD); 23% were on the transplant waiting list. A central venous catheter was used by a quarter of patients on HD. The incidence rate of confirmed COVID-19 between February and July 2020 was 684/10,000 dialysis patients, and the lethality rate was 25.7%. The estimated overall mortality and COVID-19 crude annual mortality rates were 24.5 and 4.2%, respectively., Conclusion: The absolute number of patients on chronic dialysis and prevalence rate continued to increase. The low use of PD as dialysis therapy was maintained and the use of long-term catheters for HD increased. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the increase in the overall mortality rate.

Introduction: Urinary tract symptoms and infection have been associated with occupational factors that impact hydration habits particularly in women. We compared self-reported urinary symptoms and infection and hydration habits between nurses and other occupations in dialysis units., Methods: Cross-sectional study. Participants worked in five nephrology centers in Brazil and answered an online questionnaire comprising questions regarding urinary tract symptoms and infection episodes in the preceding year; data on usual daily beverage intake, urine frequency, and urine color according to a urine color chart were also collected, as well as perceptions of water access and toilet adequacy at work., Results: We included 133 women (age=36.9±9.5 years). The self-reported usual daily beverage intake was 6.6±2.9 cups/day (~1320 mL), daily urine frequency was 5.4±2.1, and urine color chart score: 3.0±1.2. Nurses (N=66/49.6%) reported higher prevalence of burning sensation (50 versus 27%; P<0.001), urinary urgency (42 versus 21%; P<0.001), and infection (42% versus 25%; P=0.04) as well as lower liquid intake (6.0±2.6 versus 7.3±3.0 cups/day; P=0.01) than controls. Forty four percent of nurses reported being able to drink when thirsty "always" and "most of the time" versus 93% of the control group., Conclusion: Dialysis female nurses reported lower beverage intake and higher prevalence of symptoms and infection than other occupations in the same environment. Interventions to improve hydration can potentially decrease urinary problems in this population.

Objective: To analyze the concordance and agreement between bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) and anthropometry for the diagnosis of protein energy wasting (PEW) in chronic peritoneal dialysis patients. Methods: Prospective, multi-center, observational study using multifrequency bioimpedance device ( Body Composition Monitor -BCM ® - Fresenius Medical Care ) and anthropometry for the diagnosis of PEW as recommended by the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism (ISRNM). Cohen's kappa was the main test used to analyze concordance and a Bland-Altmann curve was built to evaluate the agreement between both methods. Results: We included 137 patients from three PD clinics. The mean age of the study population was 57.7 ± 14.9, 47.8% had diabetes, and 52.2% were male. We calculated the scores for PEW diagnosis at 3 and 6 months after the first collection (T3 and T6) and on average 40% of the study population were diagnosed with PEW. The concordance in the diagnosis of PEW was only moderate between anthropometry and BIS at both T3 and T6. The main factor responsible for our results was a low to moderate correlation for muscle mass in kilograms, with an r-squared (R2) of 0.35. The agreement was poor, with a difference of more than 10 kg of muscle mass on average and with more than a quarter of all cases beyond the limits of agreements. Conclusion: Current diagnosis of PEW may differ depending on the tools used to measure muscle mass in peritoneal dialysis patients., Competing Interests: TdM is a speaker of AstraZeneca, Bayer, Baxter, Boehringer-Lilly, Siemmens and Takeda; TdM has a research grant from Baxter Brazil. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Roth-Stefanski, Rodrigues de Almeida, Biagini, Scatone, Nerbass and de Moraes.)

The coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2) pandemic raised the need for social distance to reduce its spread. Chronic kidney disease patients on renal replacement therapy are especially susceptible to developing the most severe form of COVID-19, and, at the same time, require regular medical and multidisciplinary periodic follow-up. On an emergency basis, Brazil's professional regulatory bodies authorized telehealth assistance, which made possible to migrate from face-to-face to distance appointments in health services across the country, when necessary. This article's main objective is to describe the process of developing and implementing telehealth for monitoring renal transplant patients and patients on peritoneal dialysis during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: Constipation is a multifactorial gastrointestinal disorder commonly found in hemodialysis (HD) patients. In this multicenter cross-sectional study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with constipation, including the frequency of dietary fiber intake., Methods: HD patients from 4 dialysis clinics were invited. Participants answered a questionnaire which included Roma IV criteria to assess constipation status, use of medications, and lifestyle habits. A food frequency questionnaire with 7 response options on the main dietary fiber sources (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and seeds) was also applied. Answers were transformed into a score to estimate the weekly intake frequency, and every score point corresponded to one time per week. Demographical and laboratory data were obtained from medical records. Univariate analysis was used to compare participants according to constipation status, and variables with P < .20 were included in the regression analysis model., Results: Three hundred five HD patients were included (male: 51%; age: 52.2 ± 14.7 years old; HD vintage: 46 (19-82) months). Ninety-three participants had constipation (30.5%). Median (interquartile) food frequency questionnaire scores were as follows: fruits: 6 (2-14); vegetables: 6 (3-10); legumes: 3 (1-7); whole grain: 0 (0-1); and seeds: 0 (0-0). In univariate analysis, participants with constipation were significantly older, had lower literacy, higher prevalence of diabetes, and lower total beverage intake. The logistic regression analysis model also included body mass index, wheelchair need, sedentarism, fruits score, and seeds score (all with P < .20 in the univariate analysis). The independent predictors of constipation were diabetes (odds ratio = 1.96, 95% confidence interval 1.07-3.6, P = .03) and fruits intake score (odds ratio = 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.91-0.99, P = .04)., Conclusions: Almost one-third of the participants had constipation. The independent determinants of constipation were diabetes and lower frequency of fruit intake. Nutritional counseling to increase fiber intake can potentially decrease the prevalence of constipation in this population., (Copyright © 2020 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Urgent-start peritoneal dialysis (US-PD) has been used worldwide with very positive results. The prior assessment of candidates for this therapy by a nurse can favor the success of the therapy., Objectives: To identify the profile of patients who are candidates for US-PD, the causes of contraindication of the method by the nurse and their permanence in the method after 30 days, as well as the growth of the service after implementing the program., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the forms used to assess candidates for US-PD applied by nurses between May 2017 and August 2019 in a clinic in Santa Catarina. We analyzed information on demographic profile, reasons for contraindication and permanence in the method after 30 days, as well as service growth after the program was implemented., Results: Of the 215 patients indicated for US-PD, 51% were male, 55% were under 60 years old, 51% had diabetes mellitus and 89% were hypertensive. Of these, 173 (80%) patients had the nurse's approval for PD. The only cause contraindicated was the inability to self-care associated with the lack of family support. In the first 30 days after the assessment, 89% of the patients who started PD remained on it. During the study period, the PD service grew by 91%., Conclusion: During the study period, a fifth of patients referred to US-PD received contraindication by nursing due to self-care inability associated with the lack of family support. After 30 days, 89% of the patients remained on it.

Clinical Background: Hydration status, which is influenced by environment and self-behavior is associated with kidney health and disease. Epidemiology: Lack of safe water, sanitation, and high temperatures are environmental issues that affect a significant part of the worldwide population. Occupational factors that discourage proper hydration, as well as low water intake in favorable environment conditions, are also highly prevalent. As a consequence, inadequate water intake can lead to several kidney problems ranging from uncomplicated urinary tract infections to kidney stones, acute kidney injury, and chronic disorders with high mortality rates. Challenges: Increasing water intake is an individual effort when self-behavior is the main reason for inadequate hydration status. When the environment is an obstacle, it might require complex changes in a concerted multidisciplinary effort from employers, health authorities, researchers, and governments. Prevention and Treatment: Strategies can be implemented at global, local, and individual levels. Global efforts include actions to decrease poverty and climate change consequences, while increasing access to safe water and sanitation. Local actions can improve working conditions and access to water and toilets to workers. At an individual level, self-monitoring through regular observation of thirst sensation, acute weight loss, urine frequency, and urine color are recommended tools to monitor hydration status., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been considered a safe option of therapy in end-stage renal disease patients with urgent need of dialysis. Recently, it was proposed that Urgent-Start-PD (US-PD) be defined when PD starts within 72 hours after catheter placement and "early start" PD (ES-PD) when PD starts between 3 and 14 days after. We aimed to compare demographic and clinical characteristics between patients in US-PD and ES-PD as well as 30-day complications, 6-month hospitalization, and dropout rate., Methods: Adult patients starting PD within 14 days after catheter insertion (October/2016 - February/2019) were included and divided into US-PD group and ES-PD group based on the their PD initiation time. Clinical and demographic data, fill volume for the first PD session, 30-day complications, 6-month hospitalization, and dropout rate were assessed., Results: In our study, 72 patients were analyzed (US-PD=40, ES-PD=32) with mean age of 53.2±15.2 years old. No differences between US-PD and ES-PD regarding demographic characteristics, 30-day complications, 6-month hospitalization, and dropout events were found. The most frequent short-term complication in patients who started PD urgently was leakage. The most common cause of dropout was transfer to HD., Conclusion: Fifty five percent of our sample started PD less than 72 hours after catheter insertion. The lack of difference in the measured outcomes compared to patients that had therapy initiated after this period encourages the use of urgent PD when needed.

Introduction: Hypertension is multifactorial, highly prevalent in the hemodialysis (HD) population and its adequate control requires, in addition to adequate volume management, often the use of multiple antihypertensive drugs. We aimed to describe the use of antihypertensive agents in a group of HD patients and to evaluate the factors associated with the use of multiple classes (≥3) of antihypertensives., Methods: We analyzed the baseline data from the HDFit study. Clinically stable patients with HD vintage between 3 and 24 months without any severe mobility limitation were recruited from sites throughout southern Brazil. Fluid status was measured pre-dialysis with the Body Composition Monitor (BCM; Fresenius, Germany). Fluid overload (FO) was considered when the overhydration index (OH) was greater than 7% of extracellular water (OH/ECW > 7%) and overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m 2 . Prescriptions of antihypertensive drugs were obtained from participants' reports and medical records. Logistic regression was employed to determine factors associated with excessive use of antihypertensive medication (≥3 classes)., Findings: Of 195 studied patients, 171 with complete data were included (70% male, 53 ± 15 years old, 57% of them with FO). Pre-dialysis systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 150 ± 24 mmHg and patients used a median of 2 (1-3) antihypertensive drugs. Vasodilators (20%) were of lowest prevalence, use of other classes varied from 40% to 53%. Sixty-two (36%) subjects used ≥3 classes and presented a higher prevalence of diabetes and FO, lower prevalence of overweight, and higher SBP. In a logistic regression model age, BMI <25 kg/m 2 , and OH/ECW > 7% were associated with excessive drug use., Discussion: More than one-third of participants used ≥3 classes of antihypertensive drugs, and it was associated with older age, BMI <25 kg/m 2 and FO. Strategies that better manage FO may aid better blood pressure control and avoid the use of multiple antihypertensive medications., (© 2020 International Society for Hemodialysis.)

Working conditions that impair sufficient water intake have been associated with kidney problems such as kidney stones, urinary symptoms and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Higher prevalence of these morbidities was linked to occupations that do not facilitate worker access to drinking water and toilets, as well as people who perform activities in a hot environment. In this mini-review, we aim to describe and interpret available evidence in the areas of occupation, hydration and kidney health. This review explores examples of documented kidney health problems affecting professions ranging from astronauts and teachers in developed countries to rural workers in low-income settings living in water-restricted or hot environments.

Background: Heart failure is associated with exercise intolerance and sleep- disordered breathing; however, studies in patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis are scarce. The purpose of our study was to assess exercise capacity and sleep in patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis (CCP) undergoing a pericardiectomy., Methods: We studied consecutive patients scheduled for pericardiectomy due to symptomatic CCP. Were performed quality of life (Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire-MLHFQ) and sleep questionnaires (Epworth, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-PSQI), serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), serum C-reactive protein, transthoracic echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise test and overnight polysomnography immediately before and six months after pericardiectomy., Results: Twenty-five patients (76% males, age: 45.5±13.8 years, body mass index: 24.9±3.7 kg/m2, left ventricular ejection fraction: 60±6%) with CCP (76% idiopathic, 12% tuberculosis) were studied. As compared to the preoperative period, pericardiectomy resulted in reduction in BNP (143 (83.5-209.5) vs 76 (40-117.5) pg/mL, p = 0.011), improvement in VO2 peak (18.7±5.6 vs. 25.2±6.3 mL/kg/min, p<0.001), quality of life (MLHFQ score 62 (43,5-77,5) vs. 18 (8,5-22), p<0,001) and sleep (PSQI score 7.8±4.1 vs. 4.7±3.7, p<0.001) and no significant change in sleep disordered breathing (apnea hypopnea index-AHI 15.6 (8.3-31.7) vs. 14.6 (5.75-29.9) events/h, p = 0.253)., Conclusion: Patients with symptomatic CCP showed reduced exercise capacity and sleep-disordered breathing. After pericardiectomy, there was improvement in exercise capacity and neutral effect on sleep-disordered breathing., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Dehydration associated with heat stress increases the risk of workplace injury or illness, decreases productivity, and may contribute to the chronic kidney disease epidemic identified in outdoor workers from hot climates. There is limited research on the effects of chronic occupational heat stress among indoor workers. We aimed to test the feasibility of measuring markers of hydration and kidney function in foundry factory workers in Southern Brazil, exposed and not exposed to heat stress. Factory workers exposed to heat stress (wet bulb globe temperature ≥28.9) and not exposed to heat were identified by management and invited to participate. Clinical and biochemical markers of hydration and kidney function were evaluated before and after a single 8.5 h work shift (lunch time not included). Feasibility outcomes included rates of enrolment, % completion of study protocols, and time to complete data collection. This study was deemed feasible with 80% enrolment and 90% completion of the protocol. Among the preselected workers, the enrolment rate was 91%. All subjects completed the physiological measures and blood collection and 95% completed the urine studies. Mean time to complete data collection pre-shift was 19.1 ± 4.2 min and post-shift: 14.3 ± 4.0 min. Workers exposed to heat stress had a greater decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate compared to controls over the work shift (-13 ± 11 vs. -5 ± 7 mL/min; p < 0.01). We demonstrated the feasibility and challenges of conducting future hydration and kidney function research among indoor factory workers. Further study is needed to determine if exposure to indoor heat contributes to a decline in kidney function., (© 2019 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objectives: The aims of the study were to evaluate the quality of the diet of nondialysis-dependent patients with chronic kidney disease and to investigate the impact of dietary counseling in the quality of the diet of these patients., Methods: In the cross-sectional analysis, 3-day food records of 100 nondialysis-dependent patients with chronic kidney disease patients, in the first visit to the renal dietitians, were evaluated using the Diet Quality Index (DQI). Under-reporters were excluded. DQI is comprised by 10 components: 6 are food groups (fruits, vegetables, cereals, milk and dairy, meats and eggs, and legumes); 3 are nutrients (total fat, sodium, and cholesterol), and the last one is the diet variety. Each component is scored from 0 to 10, according to the adequacy of the Brazilian dietary guideline, and an overall score ranging from 0 (poor) to 100 (good) is obtained. In a subsample of 44 patients, a prospective analysis was performed to compare the DQI and its components before and after dietary counseling., Results: The median DQI score was 68.6 (62.3-75.6; interquartile range), which means that most of the patients (92%) had a diet that "needs improvement" (DQI between 50 and 80 points). The DQI components with the lowest scores (lower adequacy) were sodium (0.0 [0.0-0.9]), dairy (3.9 [2.1-6.0]), and vegetables (6.0 [2.8-9.5]), whereas meat/egg, legumes, and cholesterol had the highest scores. Vegetables, legumes, and diet variety components were significantly lower in the lower tertiles of DQI. After a median follow-up of 25.0 (17.0-35.8) months comprising 6 (5-10) visits to the dietitian, energy, protein, and micronutrients intake were significantly reduced. The dietary counseling did not improve the overall DQI (after: 69.0 [69.0-74.8]; P = .95) and, a significant reduction in the score of legumes (from 10.0 [2.7-10.0] to 7.8 [4.7-10.0], P = .00) and diet variety (from 7.0 [5.3-10.0] to 6.0 [4.0-9.0], P = .02) components were observed., Conclusion: The diet of this cohort of patients needs to be improved, particularly regarding vegetables, food variety, and sodium intake. Dietary counseling had no positive impact on the diet quality. This result highlights the importance of focusing the dietary counseling not simply on nutrient or food restriction but providing healthy food choices aiming to improve the overall diet quality of the patients., (Copyright © 2017 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hypertension affects almost all chronic kidney disease patients and is related to poor outcomes. Sodium intake is closely related to blood pressure (BP) levels in this population and decreasing its intake consistently improves the BP control particularly in short-term controlled trials. However, most patients struggle in following a controlled diet on sodium according to the guidelines recommendation due to several factors and barriers discussed in this article., Summary: This review article summarizes the current knowledge related to the associations between sodium consumption, BP, and the risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD); it also provides recommendations of how to achieve sodium intake lowering. Key Messages: Evidences support the benefits in decreasing sodium intake on markers of cardiovascular and renal outcomes in CKD. Trials had shorter follow-up and to maintain long-term sodium intake control is a major challenge. Larger studies with longer follow-up looking at hard endpoints will be important to drive future recommendations., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Millions of workers around the world are exposed to high temperatures, intense physical activity, and lax labor practices that do not allow for sufficient rehydration breaks. The extent and consequences of heat exposure in different occupational settings, countries, and cultural contexts is not well studied. We conducted an in-depth review to examine the known effects of occupational heat stress on the kidney. We also examined methods of heat-stress assessment, strategies for prevention and mitigation, and the economic consequences of occupational heat stress. Our descriptive review summarizes emerging evidence that extreme occupational heat stress combined with chronic dehydration may contribute to the development of CKD and ultimately kidney failure. Rising global temperatures, coupled with decreasing access to clean drinking water, may exacerbate the effects of heat exposure in both outdoor and indoor workers who are exposed to chronic heat stress and recurrent dehydration. These changes create an urgent need for health researchers and industry to identify work practices that contribute to heat-stress nephropathy, and to test targeted, robust prevention and mitigation strategies. Preventing occupational heat stress presents a great challenge for a concerted multidisciplinary effort from employers, health authorities, engineers, researchers, and governments.

Body-fat gain is a common finding among peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, and the accumulation of adipose tissue occurs predominantly in the abdominal area. Waist circumference (WC) is a reliable marker of abdominal obesity and its association with worse outcomes has been demonstrated in non-dialysis and haemodialysis patients. We aimed at investigating whether WC measurements as well as the changes over time in WC were able to predict mortality in PD patients. This prospective study included 109 patients undergoing PD (57 % male, age 52 (sd 16) years, 32 % diabetics, 48 % BMI≥25 kg/m2). WC was measured at the umbilicus level (empty abdominal cavity), and values >88 cm for women and >102 cm for men were considered high. Nutritional status and laboratory parameters were also evaluated. WC was measured at baseline and after 6 months, and mortality was registered during a period of 48 months. High WC was observed in 55 % of women and in 23 % of men at baseline. After 6 months, 61 % of the patients showed an increased WC. At the end of the study, twenty-seven deaths were registered. A significant increase in WC was observed only in the non-survivor group. In the Cox regression analysis adjusting for sex, age, duration on dialysis, diabetes, BMI, serum albumin and C-reactive protein, high WC at baseline as well as the 6-month increase in WC were independently associated with mortality. This study demonstrated that a high WC and the increase over time in WC were both predictors of mortality in PD patients.

Introduction: Dietary regimen for hemodialysis (HD) patients is complicate and identifying characteristics and reasons of those most likely to experience difficulty in adhering to dietary restrictions is important., Objective: To quantify HD patient's perceptions about dietary and fluid restrictions, acknowledge individual reasons that facilitate or complicate their adherence, and also their relationship with demographic, nutritional and clinical characteristics., Methods: Multi-center cross-sectional study in five dialysis facilities. HD patients (n = 147; 48% male; age: 51,3 ± 13,6 years) were encouraged to score on a scale of 0 to 10 their perception of the degree of difficulty to adhere the nutritional advice regarding control of sodium, fluid, potassium and phosphorus intake., Results: Sodium score was 4(1-7), fluids 6(3-8), potassium 4(2-6) and phosphate 6(3-8). Percentage of patients who perceived a greater difficulty (score ≥ 6) to control fluids and phosphate intake was higher than for sodium and potassium. Participants with excessive % interdialytic weight gain (%IDWG) had a higher score for fluids; the ones with hypercalemia perceived more difficulty to control potassium intake than others as well as hyperphosphatemic patients compared to normophosphatemic to control phosphorus intake. Participants with a greater difficulty to control sodium intake also perceived a greater difficulty to control fluids, potassium and phosphate intake., Conclusion: Participants perceived a greater difficulty to control fluid and phosphate intake rather than sodium and potassium, higher perceptions scores were associated with subgroups and with worse control of clinical parameters. Moreover, patients with a greater difficulty to control some dietary item also found harder to control the other ones.

Introduction: Excessive sodium intake is related to adverse renal and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and assessment of sodium intake is complex and not evaluated very often in clinical practice., Objective: To develop a new formula to estimate 24h sodium excretion from urine sample (second void) of patients with CKD., Methods: We included 51 participants with CKD who provided 24-hour urine collection and a sample of the second urine of the day to determine the sodium excretion. A formula to estimate the 24-hour sodium excretion was developed from a multivariate regression equation coefficients. The accuracy of the formula was tested by calculating the P30 (proportion of estimates within 30% of measured sodium exection) and the ability of the formula to discriminate sodium intake higher than 3.6 g/day was evaluated by ROC curve., Results: Correlation test between measured and estimated sodium was significant (r = 0.57; p < 0.001), but P30 test identified a low accuracy (61%) of the formula. Different cutoff points were tested by performance tests and a ROC curve was generated with the cutoff that showed better performance (3.6 g/day). An area under the curve of 0.69 with a sensitivity of 0.91 and specificity of 0.53 was obtained., Conclusion: A simple formula with high sensitivity in detecting patients with sodium consumption higher than 3.6 g/day from isolated urine sample was developed. Studies with a higher number of participants and with different populations are necessary to test formula´s validity.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common genetic disease that may cause left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction, heart failure, and sudden death. Recent studies have shown a high prevalence of OSA among patients with HCM. Because the hemodynamics in patients with LVOT obstruction are unstable and depend on the loading conditions of the heart, we evaluated the acute effects of CPAP on hemodynamics and cardiac performance in patients with HCM., Methods: We studied 26 stable patients with HCM divided into nonobstructive HCM (n = 12) and obstructive HCM (n = 14) groups (LVOT gradient pressure lower or higher than 30 mm Hg, respectively). Patients in the supine position while awake were continuously monitored with beat-to-beat BP measurements and electrocardiography. Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed at rest (baseline) and after 20 min of nasal CPAP at 1.5 cm H 2 O and 10 cm H 2 O, which was applied in a random order interposed by 10 min without CPAP., Results: BP, cardiac output, stroke volume, heart rate, left ventricular ejection fraction, and LVOT gradient did not change during the study period in either group. CPAP at 10 cm H 2 O decreased right atrial size and right ventricular relaxation in all patients. It also decreased left atrial volume significantly and decreased right ventricular outflow acceleration time, suggesting an increase in pulmonary artery pressure in patients with obstructive HCM., Conclusions: The acute application of CPAP is apparently safe in patients with HCM, because CPAP does not lead to hemodynamic compromise. Long-term studies in patients with HCM and sleep apnea and nocturnal CPAP are warranted., Trial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; No. NCT01631006; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov., (Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a growing global concern and often reversible. Saliva urea nitrogen (SUN) measured by a dipstick may allow rapid diagnosis. We studied longitudinal agreement between SUN and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and the diagnostic performance of both., Methods: Agreement between SUN and BUN and diagnostic performance to diagnose AKI severity in AKI patients in the United States and Brazil were studied. Bland-Altman analysis and linear mixed effects models were employed to test the agreement between SUN and BUN. Receiver operating characteristics statistics were used to test the diagnostic performance to diagnose AKI severity., Results: We found an underestimation of BUN by SUN, decreasing with increasing BUN levels in 37 studied patients, consistent on all observation days. The diagnostic performance of SUN (AUC 0.81, 95% CI 0.63-0.98) was comparable to BUN (AUC 0.85, 95% CI 0.71-0.98)., Conclusion: SUN reflects BUN especially in severe AKI. It also allows monitoring treatment responses. Video Journal Club 'Cappuccino with Claudio Ronco' at http://www.karger.com/?doi=445041., (© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Decreasing sodium intake has been associated with improvements in blood pressure (BP) and proteinuria, two important risk factors for CVD and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. We aimed to investigate the role of sodium intake by examining the effect of changes in sodium intake over 1 year on BP and proteinuria in people with early stage CKD. From thirty-two general practices, 1607 patients with previous estimated glomerular filtration rate of 59-30 ml/min per 1.73 m² and mean age of 72.9 (sd 9.0) years were recruited. Clinical assessment, urine and serum biochemistry testing were performed at baseline and after 1 year. Sodium intake was estimated from early morning urine specimens using an equation validated for this study population. We found that compared with people who increased their sodium intake from ≤ 100 to >100 mmol/d over 1 year, people who decreased their intake from >100 to ≤ 100 mmol/d evidenced a greater decrease in all BP variables (Δmean arterial pressure (ΔMAP) = -7.44 (SD 10.1) v. -0.23 (SD 10.4) mmHg; P<0.001) as well as in pulse wave velocity (ΔPWV = -0.47 (SD 1.3) v. 0.08 (SD 1.88) m/s; P<0.05). Albuminuria improved only in albuminuric patients who decreased their sodium intake. BP improved in people who maintained low sodium intake at both times and in those with persistent high intake, but the number of anti-hypertensive increased only in the higher sodium intake group, and PWV improved only in participants with lower sodium intake. Decreasing sodium intake was an independent determinant of ΔMAP. Although more evidence is needed, our results support the benefits of reducing and maintaining sodium intake below 100 mmol/d (2.3-2.4 g/d) in people with early stages of CKD.

Background/objectives: An increased risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is observed in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) even in early stages. Dietary sodium intake has been associated with important CVD and CKD progression risk factors such as hypertension and proteinuria in this population. We aimed to investigate the relationship between sodium intake and CVD or CKD progression risk factors in a large cohort of patients with CKD stage 3 recruited from primary care., Subjects/methods: A total of 1733 patients with previous estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 30-59 ml/min/1.73m(2), with a mean age 72.9±9.0 years, were recruited from 32 general practices in primary care in England. Medical history was obtained and participants underwent clinical assessment, urine and serum biochemistry testing. Sodium intake was estimated from three early-morning urine specimens using an equation validated for this study population., Results: Sixty percent of participants who had estimated sodium intake above recommendation (>100 mmol/day or 6 g salt/day) also had higher diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure (MAP), urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, high-sensitive C-reactive protein and uric acid and used a greater number of anti-hypertensive drugs. In multivariable regression analysis, excessive sodium intake was an independent predictor of MAP (B=1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-2.72; P=0.008) and albuminuria (B=1.35, 95% CI 1.02-1.79; P=0.03)., Conclusions: High sodium intake was associated with CVD and CKD progression risk factors in patients with predominantly early stages of CKD followed up in primary care. This suggests that dietary sodium intake could afffect CVD risk even in early or mild CKD. Intervention studies are warranted to investigate the potential benefit of dietary advice to reduce sodium intake in this population.