Frailty and Cognitive Deficits Limit Access to Kidney Transplantation: Unfair or Unavoidable?

Outcomes of Frail Patients While Waiting for Kidney Transplantation: Differences between Physical Frailty Phenotype and FRAIL Scale

Frailty is associated with poorer outcomes among patients waiting for kidney transplantation (KT). Several different tools to measure frailty have been used; however, their predictive value is unknown. This is a prospective longitudinal study of 449 KT candidates evaluated for frailty by the Physical Frailty Phenotype (PFP) and the FRAIL scale. During the study period, 296 patients received a KT, while 153 remained listed. Patients who did not get receive a transplant were more frequently frail according to PFP (16.3 vs. 7.4%, p = 0.013). Robust patients had fewer hospital admissions during the 1st year after listing (20.8% if PFP = 0 vs. 43.4% if ≥1, and 27.1% if FRAIL = 0 vs. 48.9% if ≥1) and fewer cardiovascular events (than FRAIL ≥ 1) or major infectious events (than PFP ≥ 1). According to PFP, scoring 1 point had an impact on patient survival and chance of transplantation in the univariate analysis. The multivariable analysis corroborated the result, as candidates with PFP ≥ 3 had less likelihood of transplantation (HR 0.45 [0.26–0.77]). The FRAIL scale did not associate with any of these outcomes. In KT candidates, pre-frailty and frailty according to both the PFP and the FRAIL scale were associated with poorer results while listed. The PFP detected that frail patients were less likely to receive a KT, while the FRAIL scale did not.

Psychosocial characteristics of patients evaluated for kidney transplant and associations with functional and frailty metrics at a veterans affairs hospital

BACKGROUND

The effect of psychosocial problems on listing outcomes and potential interactions with functional metrics is not well-characterized among Veteran transplant candidates.

METHODS

The results from psychosocial evaluations, frailty metrics, and biochemical markers were collected on 375 consecutive Veteran kidney transplant candidates. Psychosocial diagnoses were compared between patients listed or denied for transplant. Functional abilities were compared among patients with or without psychosocial diagnoses and then evaluated based on reason for denial.

RESULTS

Eighty-four percent of patients had a psychosocial diagnosis. Common issues included substance or alcohol abuse (62%), psychiatric diagnoses (50%), and poor adherence (25%). Patients with psychiatric diagnoses, cognitive impairments, and poor adherence were more likely to be denied for transplant (P < .05). Patients with depression, PTSD, and anxiety did not have worse functional ability, but experienced more exhaustion than patients without these problems. Patients denied for medical but not purely psychosocial reasons had worse troponin and functional metrics compared with listed patients.

CONCLUSION

Over 80% of patients with a psychosocial diagnosis were listed; however, poor adherence was a particularly important reason for denial for purely psychosocial reasons. Patients with psychosocial diagnoses generally were not more functionally limited than their counterparts without psychosocial diagnoses or those listed for transplant.

Physical Function in Kidney Transplantation: Current Knowledge and Future Directions

Purpose of review

Low physical function (PF) is common among individuals with end-stage kidney disease. In this review, we explore data on the impacts of PF on access to kidney transplantation (KT) and KT outcomes. We also discuss the latest interventions to improve PF in pre- and post-KT settings.

Recent Findings

Many US KT programs measure PF or related constructs when assessing KT candidacy. Although carefully selected KT candidates with low PF can benefit from KT with respect to survival and quality of life, low PF decreases the likelihood of being listed for KT and increases the risk of adverse post-KT outcomes. Recent trials suggest that exercise is a promising strategy to improve PF among KT candidates and recipients.

Summary

PF is a potentially modifiable risk factor for adverse pre- and post-KT outcomes. Research is needed to determine the ideal PF metric for use in KT evaluations and interventions to improve PF.

An overview of frailty in kidney transplantation: measurement, management and future considerations

The construct of frailty was first developed in gerontology to help identify older adults with increased vulnerability when confronted with a health stressor. This article is a review of studies in which frailty has been applied to pre- and post-kidney transplantation (KT) populations. Although KT is the optimal treatment for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), KT candidates often must overcome numerous health challenges associated with ESKD before receiving KT. After KT, the impacts of surgery and immunosuppression represent additional health stressors that disproportionately impact individuals with frailty. Frailty metrics could improve the ability to identify KT candidates and recipients at risk for adverse health outcomes and those who could potentially benefit from interventions to improve their frail status. The Physical Frailty Phenotype (PFP) is the most commonly used frailty metric in ESKD research, and KT recipients who are frail at KT (~20% of recipients) are twice as likely to die as nonfrail recipients. In addition to the PFP, many other metrics are currently used to assess pre- and post-KT vulnerability in research and clinical practice, underscoring the need for a disease-specific frailty metric that can be used to monitor KT candidates and recipients. Although frailty is an independent risk factor for post-transplant adverse outcomes, it is not factored into the current transplant program risk-adjustment equations. Future studies are needed to explore pre- and post-KT interventions to improve or prevent frailty.

Frailty measures can be used to predict the outcome of kidney transplant evaluation

BACKGROUND

Experience incorporating frailty and functional metrics in the transplant evaluation process is limited. We hypothesized that simple tests correlate with kidney transplant listing outcomes.

METHODS

Frailty metrics, treadmill ability, pedometer data, troponin T, and brain natriuretic peptide were collected on 375 consecutive kidney transplant evaluations between July 2015 and December 2018. Patients initially denied were compared with those listed or deferred. Frailty metrics included handgrip, chair sit-stand, up-and-go, chair sit-reach, and questions related to exhaustion.

RESULTS

A total of 95 (25%) patients were initially denied. Those denied were older, diabetic, or had higher body mass indexes. Frailty metrics including chair sit-stand, up-and-go, chair sit-reach, grip strength, and exhaustion; biochemical markers troponin and brain natriuretic peptide; and pedometer and treadmill ability were all significantly associated with denial (P < .001). The best order three model combining parsimony and predictiveness included treadmill ability, exhaustion, and troponin. The most predictive pedometer model also included exhaustion and up-and-go. The best order three model excluding biochemical markers, pedometer, and treadmill results included up-and-go, exhaustion, and chair sit-reach.

CONCLUSION

Outcomes after on-site kidney transplant evaluation strongly correlated with the results of common clinical and functional frailty metrics.

Cognitive assessment in a predominantly Hispanic and Native American population in New Mexico and its association with kidney transplant wait-listing

The association between cognitive function and the likelihood of kidney transplant (KT) wait-listing, especially in minority populations, has not been clearly delineated. We performed a retrospective review of our pre-KT patients, who consist mainly of Hispanics and Native Americans, over a 16-month period. We collected data on baseline demographics and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score, at the initial KT evaluation. We defined cognitive impairment as MoCA scores of <24. We constructed linear regression models to identify associations between baseline characteristics with MoCA scores and used Cox proportional hazards models to assess associations between MoCA score and KT wait-listing. During the study period, 154 patients completed the MoCA during their initial evaluation. Mean (standard deviation) MoCA scores were 23.9 (4.6), with 58 (38%) participants scoring <24. Advanced age, lower education and being on dialysis were associated with lower MoCA scores. For every one-point increase in MoCA, the likelihood of being wait-listed increased 1.10-fold (95% CI 1.01-1.19, P = .022). Being Native American and having kidney disease due to diabetes or hypertension were associated with longer time to wait-listing. Cognitive impairment was common in our pre-KT patients and was associated with a lower likelihood of KT wait-listing.