Do patient-reported measures of symptoms and health status predict mortality in hemodialysis? An assessment of POS-S Renal and EQ-5D

Health-Related Quality of Life Scores and Values as Predictors of Mortality: A Scoping Review

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) can be assessed through measures that can be generic or disease specific, encompass several independent scales, or employ holistic assessment (i.e., the derivation of composite scores). HRQoL measures may identify patients with differential risk profiles. However, the usefulness of generic and holistic HRQoL measures in identifying patients at higher risk of death is unclear. The aim of the present study was to undertake a scoping review of generic, holistic assessments of HRQoL as predictors of mortality in general non-patient populations and clinical sub-populations with specified conditions or risk factors in persons 18 years or older. Five databases were searched from 18 June to 29 June 2020 to identify peer-reviewed published articles. The searches were updated in August 2022. Reference lists of included and cited articles were also searched. Of 2552 articles screened, 110 met criteria for inclusion. Over one-third of studies were from North America. Most studies pertained to sub-populations with specified conditions and/or risk factors, almost a quarter for people with cardiovascular diseases. There were no studies pertaining to people with mental health conditions. Nearly three-quarters of the studies used a RAND Corporation QoL instrument, predominantly the SF-36, and nearly a quarter, a utility instrument, predominantly the EQ-5D. HRQoL was associated with mortality in 67 of 72 univariate analyses (92%) and 100 of 109 multivariate analyses (92%). HRQoL was found to be associated with mortality in the general population and clinical sub-populations with physical health conditions. Whether this relationship holds in people with mental health conditions is not known. HRQoL assessment may be useful for screening and/or monitoring purposes to understand how people perceive their health and well-being and as an indicator of mortality risk, encouraging better-quality and timely patient care to support and maximize what may be a patient's only modifiable outcome.

Systematic review: the role of frailty in advanced chronic liver disease

BACKGROUND

Frailty is a known predictor of outcome and mortality in patients undergoing liver transplantation. However, most patients remain unsuitable transplant candidates. It is not yet known if the assessment of frailty in non-transplant candidates can aid prognostication.

AIM

To collate and interrogate the various frailty tools presently used to predict mortality in the non-transplant cirrhosis setting.

METHODS

A comprehensive review of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for articles published from inception to March 2022 was undertaken, excluding those where patients underwent transplantation or had hepatocellular carcinoma.

RESULTS

We identified 12 observational cohort studies, featuring 9 frailty indices. These were from various global healthcare settings and of fair or good quality. Most were objective tools utilising clinician-based assessments. All frailty scores predicted prognosis, with variability in the method of application, and utilisation in long- or short-term mortality. Three studies directly compared different indices in the same population. There was some evidence that simple tools could perform as well, if not better, than more complex, time-consuming scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Various frailty tools can reproducibly evaluate mortality in patients with cirrhosis who are ineligible for transplant. However, further prospective head-to-head comparative studies are needed. In addition to determining model utility, studies should focus on important relative considerations which may limit widespread implementation including, ease of use and limited resources, given the global disparity of liver care provision. These tools may positively identify specific patient cohorts at risk of impending deterioration, thereby stratifying those patients likely to benefit from early integration with palliative care.

Sarcopenic Obesity Versus Nonobese Sarcopenia in Hemodialysis Patients: Differences in Nutritional Status, Quality of Life, and Clinical Outcomes

OBJECTIVE

Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity (SO) are linked to unfavorable prognosis in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) populations. We tested whether nonobese sarcopenia and SO, as different stages of extreme protein-energy wasting, have different prognoses.

METHODS

In this prospective observational study, 261 MHD patients were recruited from October 2010 to April 2012 and followed until October 2020. Two definitions were used to diagnose sarcopenia: the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People consensus and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Biomarkers Consortium criteria. Obesity was determined as the percentage of total body fat, ≥27% for men and ≥38% for women. Data for all-cause and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, baseline nutrition markers, inflammation and oxidative stress, adipokines, body composition parameters, handgrip strength, and quality of life (QoL) scores were measured.

RESULTS

According to European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, 115 (44.1%) patients were sarcopenic and 120 (46.0%) according to FNIH definitions. Of them, 28.4% and 34.5% were SO, respectively. Higher levels of albumin, creatinine, uric acid, leptin, phase angle, better nutritional scores, and lower adiponectin levels characterized SO patients compared with nonobese sarcopenic patients regardless of indexing method. Better QoL scores were noted in SO compared with nonobese sarcopenic patients using the FNIH sarcopenia criteria. The hazard of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and first cardiovascular event for patients with SO was lower compared with the nonobese patients after multivariate adjustments. Statistical significance of these associations disappeared after including fat mass in multivariate models.

CONCLUSIONS

MHD patients with SO have better nutritional status and prognosis for cardiovascular events, all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, and possibly better QoL compared with nonobese sarcopenic MHD patients. The better prognosis appears to be entirely due to the excess fat, which is protective in sarcopenic MHD patients similar to that described in the entire MHD population.

Prevalence of frailty and cognitive impairment in older transplant candidates - a preview to the Kidney Transplantation in Older People (KTOP): impact of frailty on outcomes study

BACKGROUND

Kidney transplantation in older people has increased, however older transplant recipients experience mixed outcomes that invariably impacts on their quality of life. The increased vulnerability of older end stage kidney disease patients to frailty and cognitive impairment, may partially explain the differences in outcomes observed. The Kidney Transplantation in Older People (KTOP): impact of frailty on clinical outcomes study is an active clinical study aiming to explore the experience of older people waiting for and undergoing transplantation. In this manuscript we present the study protocol, the study cohort, and the prevalence of frailty and cognitive impairment identified at recruitment.

METHODS

The KTOP study is a single centre, prospective, mixed methods, observational study. Recruitment began in October 2019. All patients aged 60 or above either active on the deceased donor waitlist or undergoing live donor transplantation were eligible for recruitment. Recruited participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing frailty, cognition, and quality of life, which are repeated at defined time points whilst on the waitlist and post-transplant. Clinical data was concurrently collected. Any participants identified as frail or vulnerable were also eligible for enrolment into the qualitative sub-study.

RESULTS

Two hundred eight participants have been recruited (age 60-78). Baseline Montreal Cognitive Assessments were available for 173 participants, with 63 (36.4%) participants identified as having scores below normal (score < 26). Edmonton Frail Scale assessments were available for 184 participants, with 29 participants (15.8%) identified as frail (score ≥ 8), and a further 37 participants (20.1%) identified as being vulnerable (score 6-7).

CONCLUSION

In the KTOP study cohort we have identified a prevalence of 36.4% of participants with MoCA scores suggestive of cognitive impairment, and a prevalence of frailty of 15.8% at recruitment. A further 20.1% were vulnerable. As formal testing for cognition and frailty is not routinely incorporated into the work up of older people across many units, the presence and significance of these conditions is likely not known. Ultimately the KTOP study will report on how these parameters evolve over time and following a transplant, and describe their impact on quality of life and clinical outcomes.

Symptom clusters in chronic kidney disease and their association with people's ability to perform usual activities

Background

People living with a long-term condition, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), often suffer from multiple symptoms simultaneously, making symptom management challenging. This study aimed to identify symptom clusters in adults with CKD across treatment groups and investigate their association with people’s ability to perform their usual activities.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis of both cross-sectional and longitudinal data collected as part of a national service improvement programme in 14 kidney centres in England, UK. This data included symptom severity (17 items, POS-S Renal) and the extent to which people had problems performing their usual activities (single item, EQ-5D-5L). We categorised data by treatment group: haemodialysis (n = 1,462), transplantation (n = 866), peritoneal dialysis (n = 127), or CKD without kidney replacement therapy (CKD non-KRT; n = 684). We used principal component analysis to identify symptom clusters per treatment group, and proportional odds models to assess the association between clusters and usual activities.

Results

Overall, clusters related to: lack of energy and mobility; gastrointestinal; skin; and mental health. Across groups, the ‘lack of energy and mobility’ clusters were associated with having problems with usual activities, with odds ratios (OR) ranging between 1.24 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–1.57) for haemodialysis and 1.56 for peritoneal dialysis (95% CI, 1.28–1.90). This association was confirmed longitudinally in haemodialysis (n = 399) and transplant (n = 249) subgroups.

Implications

Our findings suggest that healthcare professionals should consider routinely assessing symptoms in the ‘lack of energy & mobility’ cluster in all people with CKD, regardless of whether they volunteer this information; not addressing these symptoms is likely to be related to them having problems with performing usual activities. Future studies should explore why symptoms within clusters commonly co-occur and how they interrelate. This will inform the development of cluster-level symptom management interventions with enhanced potential to improve outcomes for people with CKD.

Clinical Assessment of Dialysis Recovery Time and Symptom Burden: Impact of Switching Hemodialysis Therapy Mode

Introduction

Most people on hemodialysis (HD) report a high symptom burden. Fatigue and lack of energy are prominent, interfering with daily life and associated with poor outcome. Prolonged recovery time after each of the thrice weekly dialysis treatments is common. The impact of HD therapies, like expanded hemodialysis (HDx), on patient reported recovery time and symptom burden is unclear.

Methods

A dialysis unit decided to perform regular assessments of patient-reported symptom burden, using the POS-S Renal Symptom questionnaire and the “Recovery time from last dialysis session” question as part of routine patient focused care. At a similar time, a clinical evidence-based decision was taken to switch the in-center dialysis cohort from regular high-flux dialysis membrane to medium cut-off (MCO) membrane, introducing HDx therapy.

Results

Quarterly assessment of patient-reported symptom burden was well accepted. A sustained clinically relevant reduction in post-dialysis recovery time was observed following the therapy switch. In patients providing data up to 12 months (N = 58), median recovery time decreased from 210 min (IQR 7.5–600) to 60 min (0–210; p = 0.002) and 105 min (0–180; p = 0.001) at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Thirty-six percent of individuals reported a recovery time longer than 360 minutes at the initial assessment, which decreased to 9% at 12 months. The POS-S Renal total symptom score showed a decrease at 6 months but no difference from baseline at 12 months. The “fatigue/lack of energy” symptom showed a sustained improvement; the percentage of participants scoring its impact as “severe” or “overwhelming” decreased from 28% at baseline to 16% at 12 months. Changes in other symptoms were more variable.

Conclusion

Regular assessment of patient reported symptoms is feasible in routine dialysis practice and can help in evaluating the impact of clinical interventions. Observations suggest that HDx therapy may reduce post-dialysis recovery time and improve perceived fatigue level.

Could the EQ-5D-3L predict all-cause mortality in older Chinese? Evidence from a 5-year longitudinal study in eastern China

PURPOSE

To assess the ability of the 3-level EQ-5D (i.e., EQ-5D-3L) in predicting all-cause mortality in older Chinese adults.

METHODS

The data were from a 5-year longitudinal study, Weitang Geriatric Diseases Study, including 4579 community-dwelling older people in eastern China, with the mean age of 72.5 years at baseline and female being 52.0%. Three multivariable logistic regression models were adopted to assess the associations of the baseline EQ-5D data [i.e., the EQ-5D problems, EQ-5D-3L index score, and EQ-5D visual analog scale (VAS) score] with the 5-year all-cause mortality, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, and subsequently, health conditions and lifestyle habits.

RESULTS

A total of 183 participants died over the 5-year study period. A larger proportion of the dead reported problems in physical dimensions (i.e., including three dimensions: mobility, self-care, and usual activities, p < 0.05 for all). The mean EQ-5D index score (0.928) and EQ-VAS score (79.7) of the living were higher than those of the dead (0.915 and 73.2, p < 0.05 for both). In multivariable logistic analyses, the EQ-5D health problems in the physical-related dimensions [odds ratio (OR) 2.16, p < 0.05] and the EQ-VAS score (OR: 0.97, p < 0.001) were associated with the 5-year all-cause mortality when adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, health conditions, and lifestyle habits.

CONCLUSIONS

It appears that the EQ-5D-3L could predict mortality in general older Chinese, which could be used to detect high-risk older individuals in China.

Health-related quality of life, palliative care needs and 12-month survival among patients with end stage renal disease in Uganda: protocol for a mixed methods longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease is on the rise globally and in sub-Saharan Africa. Due to its "silent" nature, many patients often present with advanced disease. At this point options for care are often limited to renal replacement therapies such as hemodialysis and kidney transplantation. In resource limited settings, these options are associated with catastrophic expenditures and increased household poverty levels. Early palliative care interventions, if shown to ensure comparable quality of life (QoL), can significantly mitigate this by focusing care on comfort, symptom control and QoL rather than primarily on prolonging survival.

METHODS

A mixed methods longitudinal study, recruiting patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis or conservative management and following them up over 12 months. The study aims are to: 1) measure and compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores of patients with ESRD receiving hemodialysis with those receiving conservative management, 2) measure and compare the palliative care needs and outcomes of patients in the two groups, 3) explore the impact of treatment modality and demographic, socio-economic and financial factors on QoL and palliative care needs and outcomes, 4) review patient survival over 12 months and 5) explore the patients' lived experiences. The Kidney Disease Quality Of Life Short Form version 1.3 (KDQOL-SF) will be used to measure HRQoL; the African Palliative Care Association Palliative care Outcome Score (APCA POS) and the Palliative care Outcome Score for renal symptoms (POS-S Renal) will be used to assess palliative care needs and outcomes; and semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore the patients' experiences of living with ESRD. Data collection will be carried out at 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

DISCUSSION

To the best of our knowledge, no similar study has been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. This will be an important step towards raising awareness of patients' need and preferences and the strengths and limitations of available health care services for ESRD in resource limited settings.

Exploring the Impact of Quality of Life on Survival: A Case Study in Total Knee Replacement Surgery

Background. There is growing evidence that quality of life (QoL) has a strong association with mortality. However, incorporation of QoL is uncommon in standard survival modeling. Methods. Using data extracted from a registry of patients undergoing total knee replacement (TKR), the impact of incorporating QoL in survival modeling was explored using 4 parametric survival models. QoL was incorporated and tested in 2 forms, which are baseline and change in QoL due to intervention. Life expectancy and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated and comparisons made to a reference model (no QoL) to translate the findings in the context of modeled economic evaluations. Results. A total of 2858 TKR cases (2309 patients) who had TKR between 2006 and 2015 were included in this analysis. Increases in baseline and change in QoL were associated with a reduction in mortality. Compared to the reference model, differences of up to 0.32 life years and 0.53 QALYs were observed, and these translated into a 9.5% change in incremental effectiveness. These differences were much larger as the strength of the association between QoL and mortality increased. Conclusions. This work has demonstrated that the inclusion of QoL measures (at baseline and change from baseline) when extrapolating survival does matter. It can influence health outcomes such as life expectancy and QALYs, which are relevant in cost-effectiveness analysis. This is important because neglecting the correlation between QoL and mortality can lead to imprecise extrapolations and thus risk misleading results affecting subsequent decisions made by policy makers.

Stability and Impact of Symptom Clusters in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease Undergoing Dialysis

CONTEXT

Patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis experience multiple concurrent symptoms. These symptoms cluster together and have negative impacts on patient outcomes. However, information on changes in symptom clusters over time is limited.

OBJECTIVES

This longitudinal study examined the stability of symptom clusters and their impacts on health-related quality of life and functional status over a period of one year.

METHODS

Eligibility criteria were patients diagnosed with end-stage renal disease; had received dialysis consecutively for at least three months; and had given written informed consent. Dialysis Symptom Index, Kidney Disease Quality of Life 36, and Karnofsky Performance Status Scale were used to evaluate the impacts of symptom clusters and outcomes. Exploratory factor analyses and multiple regression analyses were used to determine symptom clusters and their associations with patient outcomes.

RESULTS

Among the 354 recruited patients, 271 completed the 12-month assessment. Four symptom clusters were identified across the three assessments, namely, uremic, gastrointestinal, skin, and emotional. Within each cluster, the specific symptoms were varied. The uremic symptom cluster accounted for the largest amount of variability. Across the three assessments, a higher uremic cluster factor score was associated with poorer physical well-being, whereas a higher emotional cluster factor score was consistently associated with poorer mental well-being.

CONCLUSION

Symptoms in patients on dialysis clustered in relatively stable patterns. The four symptom clusters identified had consistent negative effects on various aspects of patients' well-being. Our findings suggest the need for ongoing symptom assessment and early recognition of symptoms that may contribute to adverse patient outcomes.

Using frailty and quality of life measures in clinical care of the elderly in Canada to predict death, nursing home transfer and hospitalisation - the frailty and ageing cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the value of using frailty measures in primary care for predicting death, nursing home transfer (NHT) and hospital admission.

DESIGN

Cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

All 380 people, mean age 88.4, living in the community and receiving home-based primary geriatric care from one practice in Victoria, Canada.

INTERVENTIONS/MEASUREMENTS

A 60 min baseline assessment which included: Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), EuroQol EQ-5D-5L (EQ-5D), EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) and Gait Speed (Gaitspeed).

OUTCOMES

Death, NHT and hospital admission.

RESULTS

During 18 months of follow-up, there were 39 (10.3%) deaths, 48 (12.6%) NHTs and 93 (24.5%) individuals admitted to hospital. All three outcomes were predicted by: CFS Level 6+7/4+5 (HR death 5.92, 95% CI 3.12 to 11.22, NHT 6.00, 95% CI 3.37 to 10.66 and hospital admission 2.92, 95% CI 1.93 to 4.40); EQ-5D Quintile 1/Quintile 5 (death 6.26, 95% CI 2.11 to 18.62; NHT 3.18, 95% CI 1.29 to 7.82 and hospital admission 2.94, 95% CI 1.47 to 5.87); EQ-VAS Q1/Q5 (death 7.0, 95% CI 2.34 to 20.93; NHT 3.38, 95% CI 1.22 to 9.35 and hospital admission 6.69, 95% CI 3.20 to 13.99) and Gaitspeed (death 5.87, 95% CI 1.78 to 19.34; NHT 8.51, 95% CI 3.18 to 22.79 and hospital admission 11.05, 95% CI 5.45 to 22.40). Medical diagnoses, multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy were weaker predictors of these outcomes. Cox regression analyses showed CFS (adjusted HR 2.88, 95% CI 1.23 to 6.68), EQ-VAS (0.96, 95% CI 0.93 to 0.98), estimated glomerular filtration rate (0.97, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.00) and haemoglobin (0.97, 95% CI 0.94 to 0.99) were independently associated with death. Gaitspeed (0.13, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.57), Geriatric Depression Scale (1.39, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.82) and dementia diagnosis (4.61, 95% CI 1.86 to 11.44) were associated with NHT. Only CFS (1.75, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.51) and EQ-VAS (0.98, 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99) were associated with hospital admission. No other diagnoses, polypharmacy nor multiple comorbidities predicted these outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

For elderly people, standardised simple measures of frailty and health status were stronger predictors of death, NHT and hospital admission than medical diagnoses. Consideration should be given to adding these measures into usual medical care for this age group.

Varying Association of Extended Hours Dialysis with Quality of Life

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Little is known about the effect of changes in dialysis hours on patient-reported outcome measures. We report the effect of doubling dialysis hours on a range of patient-reported outcome measures in a randomized trial, overall and separately for important subgroups.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

The A Clinical Trial of IntensiVE Dialysis trial randomized 200 participants to extended or standard weekly hours hemodialysis for 12 months. Patient-reported outcome measures included two health utility scores (EuroQOL-5 Dimensions-3 Level, Short Form-6 Dimension) and their derived quality-adjusted life year estimates, two generic health scores (Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary, Mental Component Summary), and a disease-specific score (Kidney Disease Component Score). Outcomes were assessed as the mean difference from baseline using linear mixed effects models adjusted for time point and baseline score, with interaction terms added for subgroup analyses. Prespecified subgroups were dialysis location (home- versus institution-based), dialysis vintage (≤6 months versus >6 months), region (China versus Australia, New Zealand, Canada), and baseline score (lowest, middle, highest tertile). Multiplicity-adjusted P values (Holm-Bonferroni) were calculated for the main analyses.

RESULTS

Extended dialysis hours was associated with improvement in Short Form-6 Dimension (mean difference, 0.027; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.00 to 0.05; P=0.03) which was not significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons (P_adjusted =0.05). There were no significant differences in EuroQOL-5 Dimensions-3 Level health utility (mean difference, 0.036; 95% CI, -0.02 to 0.09; P=0.2; P_adjusted =0.2) or in quality-adjusted life years. There were small positive differences in generic and disease-specific quality of life: Physical Component Summary (mean difference, 2.3; 95% CI, 0.6 to 4.1; P=0.01; P_adjusted =0.04), Mental Component Summary (mean difference, 2.5; 95% CI, 0.5 to 4.6; P=0.02; P_adjusted =0.05) and Kidney Disease Component Score (mean difference, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.5 to 5.5; P=0.001; P_adjusted =0.005). The results did not differ among predefined subgroups or by baseline score.

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of extended hours hemodialysis on patient-reported outcome measures reached statistical significance in some but not all measures. Within each measure the effect was consistent across predefined subgroups. The clinical importance of these differences is unclear.

Longitudinal Trends in Quality of Life and Physical Function in Frail Older Dialysis Patients: A Comparison of Assisted Peritoneal Dialysis and In-Center Hemodialysis

Background

In-center hemodialysis (HD) has been the standard treatment for older dialysis patients, but reports suggest an associated decline in physical and cognitive function. Cross-sectional data suggest that assisted peritoneal dialysis (aPD), an alternative treatment, is associated with quality of life (QoL) outcomes that are comparable to in-center HD. We compared longitudinal changes in QoL between modalities.

Methods

We enrolled 106 aPD patients, matched with 100 HD patients from 20 renal centers in England and Northern Ireland. Patients were assessed quarterly for 2 years using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), SF-12 physical and mental scores, symptom score, Illness Intrusiveness Rating Scale (IIRS), Barthel's score, and the Renal Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (RTSQ). Mixed model analysis was used to assess the impact of dialysis modality on these outcomes during follow-up. P values were adjusted for multiple significance testing.

Results

Multivariate analysis showed no difference in any of the outcome measures between aPD and HD. Longitudinal trends in outcomes were also not significantly different. Higher age at baseline was associated with lower IIRS and RTSQ scores during follow-up. One-hundred and twenty-five (60.6%) patients dropped out of the study: 59 (28.6%) died, 61 (29.6%) withdrew during follow-up, and 5 (2.5%) were transplanted.

Conclusions

Quality of life outcomes in frail older aPD patients were equivalent to those receiving in-center HD. Assisted PD is thus a valid alternative to HD for older people with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) wishing to dialyze at home.

Symptom burden amongst patients suffering from end-stage renal disease and receiving dialysis: A literature review

Patients suffering from end-stage renal disease and receiving dialysis experience a high symptom burden, which leads to an impaired quality of life and is associated with an increased risk of future hospitalisation and mortality. However, the symptom burden amongst patients undergoing dialysis was often underrecognised by clinical staff. In this paper, related works on symptom burden amongst patients with end-stage renal disease receiving dialysis, its concepts, assessment tools, status, and influencing factors were reviewed to draw clinical staff's attention for the relief of symptom burden amongst these patients and provide a reference for further research.

Abdominal obesity in normal weight versus overweight and obese hemodialysis patients: Associations with nutrition, inflammation, muscle strength, and quality of life

OBJECTIVE

The biological basis of abdominal obesity leading to more severe outcomes in patients with normal body mass index (BMI) on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the properties of abdominal obesity in different BMI categories of patients on MHD.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study of 188 MHD patients (52.7% women; mean age, 69.4 ± 11.5 y) with abdominal obesity in different BMI groups using criteria from the World Health Organization. Appetite and dietary intake, body composition, handgrip strength, malnutrition inflammation score (MIS), inflammatory biomarkers, adipokines, and health-related quality-of-life (QoL) questionnaires were studied.

RESULTS

According to multivariable analyses, abdominally obese patients with normal BMIs consumed less protein per day (P = 0.04); had lower measurements of surrogates of lean (P < 0.001) and fat mass (P < 0.001); and had higher total cholesterol, tumor necrosis factor-α (P < 0.05), and ratios of adiponectin to leptin (P = 0.003) than overweight and obese patients with abdominal obesity. Multivariable analyses showed no differences in handgrip strength among the study groups.The abdominally obese study participants with normal weight had significantly lower scores in role physical (P = 0.003) and pain (P = 0.04) scales after multivariable adjustments.

CONCLUSIONS

Normal-weight MHD patients with abdominal obesity exhibited a more proatherogenic profile in terms of inflammatory markers and adipokine expression, lower body composition reserves, and lower physical ability than patients with abdominal obesity with overweight and obesity. This at least partially explains the abdominal obesity paradox in the MHD population in which worse clinical outcomes are seen in abdominally obese patients with normal BMIs, as opposed to overweight and obese patients who are also abdominally obese.

Quality of life with conservative care compared with assisted peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis

Background

There is little information about quality of life (QoL) for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) choosing conservative kidney management (CKM). The Frail and Elderly Patients on Dialysis (FEPOD) study demonstrated that frailty was associated with poorer QoL outcomes with little difference between dialysis modalities [assisted peritoneal dialysis (aPD) or haemodialysis (HD)]. We therefore extended the FEPOD study to include CKM patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤10 mL/min/1.73 m² (i.e. individuals with ESKD otherwise likely to be managed with dialysis).

Methods

CKM patients were propensity matched to HD and aPD patients by age, gender, ethnicity, diabetes status and index of deprivation. QoL outcomes measured were Short Form-12 (SF12), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression score, symptom score, Illness Intrusiveness Rating Scale (IIRS) and Renal Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire. Frailty was assessed using the Clinical Frailty Scale. Generalized linear modelling was used to assess the impact of treatment modality on QoL outcomes, adjusting for baseline characteristics.

Results

In total, 84 (28 CKM, 28 HD and 28 PD) patients were included. Median age for the cohort was 82 (79–88) years. Compared with CKM, aPD was associated with higher SF12 physical component score (PCS) [Exp B (95% confidence interval) = 1.20 (1.00–1.45), P < 0.05] and lower symptom score [Exp B = 0.62 (0.43–0.90), P = 0.01]; depression score was lower in HD compared with CKM [Exp B = 0.70 (0.52–0.92), P = 0.01]. Worsening frailty was associated with higher depression scores [Exp B = 2.59 (1.45–4.62), P < 0.01], IIRS [Exp B = 1.20 (1.12–1.28), P < 0.01] and lower SF12 PCS [Exp B = 0.87 (0.83–0.93), P < 0.01].

Conclusion

Treatment by dialysis, both with aPD and HD, improved some QoL measures. Overall, aPD was equal to or slightly better than the other modalities in this elderly population. However, as in the primary FEPOD study, frailty was associated with worse QoL measures irrespective of CKD modality. These findings highlight the need for an individualized approach to the management of ESKD in older people.

Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Kidney Transplant-Part 1

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a complex medical condition that is associated with several comorbidities and requires comprehensive medical management. Given the chronic nature of the condition, its frequent association with psychosocial distress, and its very significant symptom burden, the subjective patient experience is key toward understanding the true impact of CKD on the patients’ life. Patient-reported outcome measures are important tools that can be used to support patient-centered care and patient engagement during the complex management of patients with CKD. The routine collection and use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in clinical practice may improve quality of care and outcomes, and may provide useful data to understand the disease from both an individual and a population perspective. Many tools used to measure PROs focus on assessing health-related quality of life, which is significantly impaired among patients with CKD. Health-related quality of life, in addition to being an important outcome itself, is associated with clinical outcomes such as health care use and mortality. In Part 1 of this review, we provide an overview of PROs and implications of their use in the context of CKD. In Part 2, we will review the selection of appropriate measures and the relevant domains of interest for patients with CKD.

Collection and determinants of patient reported outcome measures in haemodialysis patients in Scotland

BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION

Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) can evaluate the quality of health in patients with established renal failure. There is limited experience of their use within national renal registries.

AIM

To describe the Scottish Renal Registry's (SRR) experience of collecting PROMS in the haemodialysis population and correlate PROMS to demographic and clinical parameters.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Haemodialysis patients in Scotland were invited to complete the KDQOL™-36 questionnaire on the day of the annual SRR census in 2015 and 2016. Questionnaires were linked to census demographic and clinical variables.

RESULTS

In 2016, 738 questionnaires were linked to census data (39% of prevalent haemodialysis population). Response rates differed with age (≥ 65 years 42%, < 65 years 36%) [χ2P = 0.006]; duration of renal replacement therapy (<1 year 46%, ≥1 < 5 years 38%, ≥ 5 years 33%) [χ2P = 0.002] and social class (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) Class 1 32%, Class 2 41%, Class 3 40%, Class 4 48%, Class 5 40%) [χ2P < 0.001]. There were significant differences in PROMs with age, SIMD quintile and primary renal diagnosis. Achieving a urea reduction ratio of >65% and dialysing through arteriovenous access were associated with significantly higher PROMs. PROMs were not affected by haemoglobin or phosphate concentration.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS

Routine collection of PROMs is feasible and can identify potentially under-recognized and treatable determinants to quality of life. The association between attaining recommended standards of care and improved PROMs is striking. Individual and population-wide strategies are required to improve PROMs.

A single question regarding mobility in the World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire predicts 3-year mortality in patients receiving chronic hemodialysis

Low quality of life, depression and poor quality of sleep are associated with increased mortality in hemodialysis patients. It is not clear which factor has the highest predictive power and what the core element is to explain the predictability. We thus conducted a prospective cohort study that included 151 hemodialysis adults. Three traits of interest were assessed by World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire, an abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF), Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire, and Athens Insomnia Scale, respectively. They were followed for more than 3 years and the all-cause mortality was 30.5%. The prevalence of quality of life at the lowest tertile, depression and poor quality of sleep was 19.9%, 43.0% and 74.2%, respectively. Discriminant analysis showed the standardized coefficient of each factor as 0.813, −0.289 and 0.066, indicating the highest discriminating power by quality of life to predict mortality. Question 15 “how well are you able to get around?” in the physical health domain of WHOQOL-BREF independently associated a hazard ratio of mortality 0.623 (95% confidence interval 0.423-0.918). Subjective perception of overall quality of life was more related to psycho-social-environmental factors. In conclusion, mobility is an independent and powerful predictor to long term mortality in patients on chronic hemodialysis.