The association of positive affect and cardiovascular health in Hispanics/Latinos with chronic kidney disease: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

Adherence to Life's Essential 8 and incident chronic kidney disease: a prospective study of 147,988 UK Biobank participants

BACKGROUND

The American Heart Association recently updated Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score. This amalgamation of health factors, recognized for their individual associations with chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk, provides a robust tool to assess overall cardiovascular health (CVH), which could potentially be extrapolated to predict CKD risk.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the association between levels of CVH, as measured by the LE8 score, and risk of CKD in the UK Biobank.

METHODS

A total of 147,988 participants free of CKD and cardiovascular disease from the UK Biobank were included in this prospective study. CVH levels were categorized as low (0-49), moderate (50-79), and high (80-100) using LE8 score. An adjusted Cox proportional hazard model was used to investigate the association between LE8 and CKD. The population attributable-risk (PAR) was also calculated.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 10 y, 1936 CKD cases were documented. A higher LE8 score was associated with a significant lower risk of CKD (P < 0.001), and a linear dose-response relationship was observed. Similar patterns were also found in the associations of the LE8 behavior and biological subscale scores with CKD. Compared with participants with a low CVH category, participants with a moderate CVH were associated with a 39% lower risk of developing CKD (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52, 0.72); and those with a high CVH had a 57% lower risk of CKD incidence (HR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.53) after adjustment for covariates. Among 8 distinct metrics of LE8 score, the BMI metric had the highest PAR (24.6%; 95% CI: 18.8, 30.2). Of the total CKD risk, 3.2% (95% CI: 1.4, 5.0) was attributable to inadequate or excessive sleep duration.

CONCLUSIONS

High CVH, defined by LE8, is significantly associated with a lower risk of CKD. These results suggest that promoting optimal cardiovascular health may lower the burden of CKD.

Positive Psychological Intervention Delivered Using Virtual Reality in Patients on Hemodialysis With Comorbid Depression: Protocol and Design for the Joviality Randomized Controlled Trial

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.

Well-being and health in kidney failure: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Kidney Failure (KF) is associated with impaired physical function, reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL), increased healthcare costs, and high rates of cardiovascular complications and mortality. Among individuals with KF, well-being and related constructs, such as positive affect, optimism, self-efficacy, and resilience, may have both mental and physical health benefits, independent of the effects of negative emotions and affective syndromes. However, there has been minimal review of these characteristics in people with KF.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review, using a semi-systematic approach, to summarize the relationships between well-being characteristics and renal health, the potential mechanisms mediating these relationships, and the effects of interventions that promote positive constructs on adherence and health outcomes. We conducted database searches using PubMed and PsycInfo until November 2020. Articles were included if they examined (1) relationships between a well-being construct and health outcome in patients with KF, (2) potential biological or behavioral mediators, or (3) interventions that target positive psychological constructs as outcomes or mediators in KF, and (4) were written in English or Spanish.

RESULTS

Among patients with KF, well-being constructs are associated with increased health-related quality of life (HRQoL), reduced morbidity and complications, and increased survival. Potential mechanisms mediating these associations include reduced inflammation, improved autonomic and endothelial function, and improved health behavior adherence. Psychological and psychosocial interventions promoting well-being have primarily focused on improving self-efficacy to promote behavior change, with limited study of interventions to promote positive psychological constructs in this population.

CONCLUSIONS

Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between well-being constructs and health, specific to KF populations. This could inform the development of needed interventions that harness the promotion of other positive characteristics to improve well-being and health.