Psychosocial stress and changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate among adults with diabetes mellitus

A systematic review of statistical methodology used to evaluate progression of chronic kidney disease using electronic healthcare records

Background

Electronic healthcare records (EHRs) are a useful resource to study chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression prior to starting dialysis, but pose methodological challenges as kidney function tests are not done on everybody, nor are tests evenly spaced. We sought to review previous research of CKD progression using renal function tests in EHRs, investigating methodology used and investigators’ recognition of data quality issues.

Methods and findings

We searched for studies investigating CKD progression using EHRs in 4 databases (Medline, Embase, Global Health and Web of Science) available as of August 2021. Of 80 articles eligible for review, 59 (74%) were published in the last 5.5 years, mostly using EHRs from the UK, USA and East Asian countries. 33 articles (41%) studied rates of change in eGFR, 23 (29%) studied changes in eGFR from baseline and 15 (19%) studied progression to binary eGFR thresholds. Sample completeness data was available in 44 studies (55%) with analysis populations including less than 75% of the target population in 26 studies (33%). Losses to follow-up went unreported in 62 studies (78%) and 11 studies (14%) defined their cohort based on complete data during follow up. Methods capable of handling data quality issues and other methodological challenges were used in a minority of studies.

Conclusions

Studies based on renal function tests in EHRs may have overstated reliability of findings in the presence of informative missingness. Future renal research requires more explicit statements of data completeness and consideration of i) selection bias and representativeness of sample to the intended target population, ii) ascertainment bias where follow-up depends on risk, and iii) the impact of competing mortality. We recommend that renal progression studies should use statistical methods that take into account variability in renal function, informative censoring and population heterogeneity as appropriate to the study question.

Estresse no trabalho e níveis de hemoglobina glicada: o papel da escolaridade. Dados da linha de base do Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil)

Resumo Introdução: as condições estressantes do trabalho estão associadas ao aumento dos níveis glicêmicos, mas pouco se conhece sobre o papel da escolaridade neste contexto. Objetivos: analisar a associação entre o estresse psicossocial no trabalho e os níveis de hemoglobina glicada (HbA1c) e a influência da escolaridade como modificador de efeito. Métodos: estudo transversal com dados de 11.922 trabalhadores ativos da linha de base do Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil). O estresse psicossocial no trabalho foi avaliado pelo modelo demanda-controle. Foram empregadas a regressão logística multinomial e interações multiplicativas. Resultados: em trabalhadoras do sexo feminino com baixa escolaridade, observou-se associação entre baixo uso de habilidades no trabalho (OR 1,56; IC95% 1,09-2,24) e HbA1c elevada. A baixa autonomia no trabalho foi relacionada à HbA1c limítrofe (OR 1,21; IC95% 1,01-1,45) e elevada (OR 1,73; IC95% 1,19-2,51). Entre trabalhadores do sexo masculino com baixa escolaridade, o trabalho de alto desgaste (OR 1,94; IC95% 1,18-3,21), o baixo uso de habilidades (OR 2,00; IC95% 1,41-2,83) e a baixa autonomia no trabalho (OR 1,58; IC95% 1,13-2,21) foram associados à HbA1c elevada. Conclusão: o estresse psicossocial no trabalho foi associado a níveis limítrofes e elevados de HbAlc para trabalhadores com baixa escolaridade de ambos os sexos. Assim, ações para modificar as relações de trabalho e prevenir doenças crônicas devem ser priorizadas.

Combined Use of Job Stress Models and the Incidence of Glycemic Alterations (Prediabetes and Diabetes): Results from ELSA-Brasil Study

Evidence of psychosocial stress at work as a risk factor for diabetes and prediabetes is restricted.

OBJECTIVES

Analyze the independent and combined association of the models, demand-control and social support (DC-SS) and the effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment (ERI-OC), and the incidence of glycemic alterations (prediabetes and diabetes).

METHODS

A prospective study was carried out with data from 7503 active workers from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) study in the period 2008-2014. Work stress was measured by two stress models. Glycemic levels were evaluated by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in two moments and classified in four groups: normal, maintenance of prediabetes, incident prediabetes, and incident diabetes. Multinomial logistic regression was analyzed with 5% significance levels stratified by sex, and multiplicative interactions were investigated.

RESULTS

Work stress and glycemic alterations were more frequent in women. Psychosocial stress at work was shown to be associated to the risk of prediabetes and diabetes only among women. For women, the combination of models enlarged the magnitude of the association: prediabetes (DC-ERI = OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.15-1.99) and diabetes (DC-ERI = OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.20-3.65). Highly-educated women exposed to ERI-OC were four times more likely to have diabetes.

CONCLUSION

Both models may contribute to explaining the psychosocial stress load according to each pattern of glycemic alteration among women.

Cross-sectional study of association between psychosocial stressors with chronic kidney disease among migrant and non-migrant Ghanaians living in Europe and Ghana: the RODAM study

OBJECTIVES

The association between psychosocial stressors (PS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) among sub-Saharan African (SSA) populations is unknown. We examined the association between PS and CKD prevalence among rural and urban Ghanaians and Ghanaian migrants living in three European cities. We also assessed if the influence of PS on CKD is partially mediated by primary risk factors (hypertension and diabetes) of CKD.

DESIGN

A multi-centred cross sectional data from the Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants study.

SETTING

Rural and urban Ghana and three European cities (Amsterdam, Berlin and London).

PARTICIPANTS

A random sample of 5659 adults (Europe 3167, rural Ghana 1043 and urban Ghana 1449) aged 25-70 years.

EXPLANATORY MEASURES

PS defined by negative life events, perceived discrimination, perceived stress at work/home and depressive symptoms. Three CKD outcomes were considered using the 2012 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes severity of CKD classification. Comparisons between PS and CKD outcomes were made using logistic regression analyses across all sites.

RESULTS

We observed higher proportion of negative life events (68.7%) and perceived permanent stress (15.9%) among Ghanaians living in Ghana than Ghanaians living in Europe. Depressive symptoms (7.5%) and perceived discrimination (29.7%) were more common among Ghanaians living in Europe than Ghanaians living in Ghana. No significant association was observed between any of the PS constructs and CKD outcomes across sites except for positive association between stress at work/home and albuminuria (2.81, 95% CI 1.46 to 5.40) and CKD risk (2.78, 95% CI 1.43 to 5.43) among Ghanaians living in Berlin.

CONCLUSION

Our study found a positive association between stress at work/home and albuminuria and CKD risk. There was no convincing evidence of associations between the other PS constructs and the prevalence of CKD risk. Further studies are needed to identify potential factors driving the high prevalence of CKD among these populations.