Purpose of review

The past 15 years have seen tremendous growth in the initiation of dialysis at higher levels of kidney function in the setting of mixed evidence and at great societal economic cost. We review recent data on the early dialysis initiation trend, the clinical and economic impact of early dialysis initiation and the future implications for the management of advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Recent findings

The percentage of patients who initiate dialysis with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) above 10 ml/min/1.73m2 is now greater than 50%, including 20% who initiate with an eGFR above 15 ml/min/1.73m2. The drivers behind these findings are probably diverse but recent literature does not seem to support a higher symptom burden among the ageing CKD population as the major cause. The Initiating Dialysis Early And Late (IDEAL) trial provides guidance on the safety of waiting for symptoms or lower levels of estimated glomerular filtration rate prior to beginning dialysis. In addition, economic analyses based on the IDEAL and US Renal Data System findings suggest that significant cost savings could be achieved by reversing the early initiation trend.

Summary

These findings should help clinicians and policy makers looking to rein in costs while maintaining the quality of CKD care.

Purpose of review

In this review, we outline the rationale for expanding the role of palliative care in end-stage renal disease (ESRD), describe the components of a palliative care model, and identify potential barriers in implementation.

Recent findings

Patients receiving chronic dialysis have reduced life expectancy and high rates of chronic pain, depression, cognitive impairment, and physical disability. Delivery of prognostic information and advance care planning are desired by patients, but occur infrequently. Furthermore, although hospice care is associated with improved symptom control and lower healthcare costs at the end of life, it is underutilized by the ESRD population, even among patients who withdraw from dialysis. A palliative care model incorporating communication of prognosis, advance care planning, symptom assessment and management, and timely hospice referral may improve quality of life and quality of dying. Resources and clinical practice guidelines are available to assist practitioners with incorporating palliative care into ESRD management.

Summary

There is a large unmet need to alleviate the physical, psychosocial, and existential suffering of patients with ESRD. More fully integrating palliative care into ESRD management by improving end-of-life care training, eliminating structural and financial barriers to hospice use, and identifying optimal methods to deliver palliative care are necessary if we are to successfully address the needs of an aging ESRD population.

Cognitive impairment, including dementia, is a common but poorly recognized problem among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), affecting 16–38% of patients. Dementia is associated with high risks of death, dialysis withdrawal, hospitalization, and disability among patients with ESRD; thus, recognizing and effectively managing cognitive impairment may improve clinical care. Dementia screening strategies should take into account patient factors, the time available, the timing of assessments relative to dialysis treatments, and the implications of a positive screen for subsequent management (for example, transplantation). Additional diagnostic testing in patients with cognitive impairment, including neuroimaging, is largely based on the clinical evaluation. There is limited data on the efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy for dementia in the setting of ESRD; therefore, decisions about the use of these medications should be individualized. Management of behavioral symptoms, evaluation of patient safety, and advance care planning are important components of dementia management. Prevention strategies targeting vascular risk factor modification, and physical and cognitive activity have shown promise in the general population and may be reasonably extrapolated to the ESRD population. Modification of ESRD-associated factors such as anemia and dialysis dose or frequency require further study before they can be recommended for treatment or prevention of cognitive impairment.

Purpose of review

The elderly constitute a substantial and growing fraction of the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population. We review recent studies on ESRD incidence, management, and outcomes in the elderly.

Recent findings

Rates of treated ESRD among the elderly (>80 years) have risen by more than 50% in the last decade. In studies with a large number of elderly patients, median survival after dialysis initiation is modest, and although a majority have reasonable life expectancy, a substantial minority of elderly patients experience very high early mortality rates after dialysis initiation. Quality of life results are mixed – compared with younger ESRD patients or non-ESRD elderly, mental well being is similar and physical well being is reduced in elderly patients with ESRD. In several studies, elderly patients with ESRD initiating peritoneal dialysis had higher mortality rates than elderly patients with ESRD initiating hemodialysis. Strategies such as nondialytic management of ESRD or dietary protein restriction and delayed dialysis initiation may be alternatives for elderly patients wishing to avoid dialysis initiation, but further studies are needed to determine the patients best suited for these approaches. Quality improvement initiatives in geriatric ESRD care have been successfully implemented in some centers and may ultimately improve care for elderly patients with ESRD.

Summary

These findings should help to clarify some of the risks and benefits of dialysis in the elderly and may be useful in dialysis decision-making and management.

Background

Albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are each associated with increased risk for cognitive impairment, but their joint association is unknown.

Study Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting and Participants

A US national sample of 19,399 adults without cognitive impairment at baseline participating in the REGARDS )REasons for Geographic And Racial Disparities in Stroke) study.

Predictors

Albuminuria was assessed by the urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) and GFR was estimated using the CKD-EPI (CKD Epidemiology Collaboration) equation.

Outcomes

Incident cognitive impairment was defined as a score of 4 or less on the Six-item Screener at the last follow-up visit.

Results

Over a mean follow-up of 3.8 ± 1.5 years, UACR 30 – 299 and ≥300 mg/g were independently associated with 31% and 57% higher risk for cognitive impairment, respectively, relative to individuals with UACR <10 mg/g. This finding was strongest among those with high eGFR and attenuated at lower levels (P=0.04 for trend). Relative an eGFR ≥60 ml/min/1.73m2, eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73m2 was not independently associated with cognitive impairment. However, after stratifying by UACR, eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73m2 was associated with 30% higher risk for cognitive impairment among participants with UACR <10 mg/g but not higher UACR levels (P=0.04 for trend).

Limitations

single measure of albuminuria and eGFR, screening test of cognition

Conclusions

When eGFR was preserved, albuminuria independently associated with incident cognitive impairment. When albuminuria was <10 mg/g, low eGFR independently associated with cognitive impairment. Albuminuria and low eGFR are complementary but not additive risk factors for incident cognitive impairment.

Context

An increasing number of older adults are being treated for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) with long-term dialysis.

Objectives

To determine how ESRD treatment practices for older adults vary across regions with differing end-of-life intensity of care.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Retrospective observational study using a national ESRD registry to identify a cohort of 41 420 adults (of white or black race), aged 65 years or older, who started long-term dialysis or received a kidney transplant between June 1, 2005, and May 31, 2006. Regional end-of-life intensity of care was defined using an index from the Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare.

Main Outcome Measures

Incidence of treated ESRD (dialysis or transplant), preparedness for ESRD (under the care of a nephrologist, having a fistula [vs graft or catheter] at time of hemodialysis initiation), and end-of-life care practices.

Results

Among whites, the incidence of ESRD was progressively higher in regions with greater intensity of care and this trend was most pronounced at older ages. Among blacks, a similar relationship was present only at advanced ages (men aged ≥80 years and women aged ≥85 years). Patients living in regions in the highest compared with lowest quintile of end-of-life intensity of care were less likely to be under the care of a nephrologist before the onset of ESRD (62.3% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 61.3%–63.3%] vs 71.1% [95% CI, 69.9%–72.2%], respectively) and less likely to have a fistula (vs graft or catheter) at the time of hemodialysis initiation (11.2% [95% CI, 10.6%–11.8%] vs 16.9% [95% CI, 15.9%–17.8%]). Among patients who died within 2 years of ESRD onset (n=21 190), those living in regions in the highest compared with lowest quintile of end-of-life intensity of care were less likely to have discontinued dialysis before death (22.2% [95% CI, 21.1%–23.4%] vs 44.3% [95% CI, 42.5%–46.1%], respectively), less likely to have received hospice care (20.7% [95% CI, 19.5%–21.9%] vs 33.5% [95% CI, 31.7%–35.4%]), and more likely to have died in the hospital (67.8% [95% CI, 66.5%–69.1%] vs 50.3% [95% CI, 48.5%–52.1%]). These differences persisted in adjusted analyses.

Conclusion

There are pronounced regional differences in treatment practices for ESRD in older adults that are not explained by differences in patient characteristics.

Background

Recent reports have suggested a close relationship between education and health, including mortality, in the United States.

Study Design

Observational cohort

Setting and Participants

We studied 61,457 participants enrolled in a national health screening initiative, the National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP).

Predictor

Self-reported educational attainment

Outcomes

Chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, reduced kidney function, and albuminuria) and mortality

Measurements

We evaluated the cross-sectional associations between self-reported educational attainment with the chronic diseases listed above using logistic regression models adjusted for demographics, access to care, behaviors, and co-morbidities. The association of educational attainment with survival was determined by multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results

Higher educational attainment was associated with lower prevalence of each of the chronic conditions listed above. In multivariable models, compared with persons not completing high school, college graduates had a lower risk of each chronic condition, ranging from 11% lower odds of reduced kidney function to 37% lower odds of cardiovascular disease. Over a mean follow-up time of 3.9 years (median, 3.7 years), 2,384 (4%) deaths occurred. In the fully adjusted Cox model, those who had completed college had a 24% lower mortality, compared to participants who had completed at least some high school.

Limitations

A lack of income data does not allow us to disentangle the independent effects of education from income.

Conclusions

In this diverse, contemporary cohort, higher educational attainment was independently associated with lower prevalence of chronic diseases and short-term mortality among all age and race/ethnicity groups.

It is often difficult to synthesize information about the risks and benefits of recommended management strategies in older patients with end-stage renal disease since they may have more comorbidity and lower life expectancy than patients described in clinical trials or practice guidelines. In this review, we outline a framework for individualizing end-stage renal disease management decisions in older patients. The framework considers three factors: life expectancy, the risks and benefits of competing treatment strategies, and patient preferences. We illustrate the use of this framework by applying it to three key end-stage renal disease decisions in older patients with varying life expectancy: choice of dialysis modality, choice of vascular access for hemodialysis, and referral for kidney transplantation. In several instances, this approach might provide support for treatment decisions that directly contradict available practice guidelines, illustrating circumstances when strict application of guidelines may be inappropriate for certain patients. By combining quantitative estimates of benefits and harms with qualitative assessments of patient preferences, clinicians may be better able to tailor treatment recommendations to individual older patients, thereby improving the overall quality of end-stage renal disease care.

Background

Poor sleep quality is a common, persistent, and important problem to patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This report examines whether sleep quality is associated with dialysis treatment factors and other modifiable clinical factors in a large group of hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods

Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on baseline data collected from participants in the Frequent Hemodialysis Network trials. Sleep quality was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Problems Index II (SPI II), a 9-item measure of sleep quality with higher scores reflecting poorer sleep quality.

Results

The participants had an age of 51.2 ± 13.6 years, 61% were male, 38% were black, and 42% had diabetes. Higher pre-dialysis serum phosphorus (per 0.5 mg/ml) (OR 0.91; 95% CI 0.85, 0.96) and depression (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.10, 0.25) were independently associated with decrements in sleep quality. There was also a difference in time to recovery from dialysis for the fourth versus the first SPI II quartile (5.1 h; p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

These findings underscore the link between sleep and daytime function and suggest that improving sleep may provide an opportunity to improve outcomes in ESRD. Whether sleep problems may be improved by reduction of serum phosphorus or treatment of depression in the HD population merits further investigation.

Background

The National Kidney Foundation has recommended that the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation replace the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation. Before implementing this change in the Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP), we compared characteristics of reclassified individuals and mortality risk predictions using the new equation.

Methods

Of 123,704 eligible KEEP participants, 116,321 with data available for this analysis were included. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated using the MDRD Study (eGFRMDRD) and CKD-EPI (eGFRCKD-EPI) equations with creatinine level calibrated to standardized methods. Participants were characterized by eGFR category: >120, 90-119, 60-89, 45-59, 30-44, and <30 mL/min/1.73 m2. Clinical characteristics ascertained included age, race, sex, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and anemia. Mortality was determined over a median of 3.7 years of follow-up.

Results

The prevalence of eGFRCKD-EPI <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was 14.3% compared with 16.8% using eGFRMDRD. Using eGFRCKD-EPI, 20,355 participants (17.5%) were reclassified to higher eGFR categories, and 3,107 (2.7%), to lower categories. Participants reclassified upward were younger and less likely to have chronic conditions, with a lower risk of mortality. A total of 3,601 deaths (3.1%) were reported. Compared with participants classified to eGFR of 45-59 mL/min/1.73 m2 using both equations, those with eGFRCKD-EPI of 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m2 had a lower mortality incidence rate (6.4 [95% CI, 5.1-7.7] vs 18.5 [95% CI, 17.1-19.9]). Results were similar for all eGFR categories. Net reclassification improvement was 0.159 (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The CKD-EPI equation reclassifies people at lower risk of CKD and death into higher eGFR categories, suggesting more accurate categorization. The CKD-EPI equation will be used to report eGFR in KEEP.

Background

Low awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD) may reflect uncertainty about the accuracy or significance of a CKD diagnosis in individuals otherwise perceived to be low-risk. Whether reclassification of CKD severity using the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) modifies estimates of CKD awareness is unknown.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we used data collected from 2000 to 2009 for 26,213 participants in the Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP), a community-based screening program, with CKD based on GFR estimated using the 4-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation and measurement of albuminuria. We assessed CKD awareness after CKD stage was reclassified using the CKD-EPI equation.

Results

Of 26,213 participants with CKD based on eGFRMDRD, 23,572 (90%) were also classified with CKD based on eGFRCKD-EPI. Based on eGFRMDRD, 9.5% of participants overall were aware of CKD, as were 4.9%, 6.3%, 9.2%, 41.9%, and 59.2% with Stages 1-5, respectively. Based on eGFRCKD-EPI, 10.0% of participants overall were aware of CKD, as were 5.1%, 6.6%, 10.0%, 39.3%, and 59.4% with Stages 1-5, respectively. Reclassification to a less advanced CKD stage with eGFRCKD-EPI was associated with lower odds for awareness (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.50-0.67); reclassification to a more advanced stage was associated with higher odds for awareness (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.05-2.13) after adjustment for confounding factors. Of participants unaware of CKD, 10.6% were reclassified as not having CKD using eGFRCKD-EPI.

Conclusions

Using eGFRCKD-EPI led to a modest increase in overall awareness rates, primarily due to reclassification of low-risk unaware participants.

Objectives

To investigate cognitive impairment in older, ethnically diverse individuals with a broad range of kidney function, to evaluate a spectrum of cognitive domains and to determine whether the relationship between CKD and cognitive function is independent of demographic and clinical factors.

Design

Cross sectional.

Setting

Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study.

Participants

825 adults ≥55 years with CKD.

Measurements

We estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, ml/min/1.73 m2) using the four-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. We compared cognitive scores on six cognitive tests across eGFR strata using linear regression; multivariable logistic regression was used to examine level of CKD and clinically significant cognitive impairment (score ≤1 sd from mean).

Results

Mean age of the participants was 64.9 years, 50% were male and 45% were Black. After multi-variable adjustment, participants with lower eGFR had lower cognitive scores on most cognitive domains (P<0.05). In addition, compared with persons who had mild or moderate CKD (eGFR 45-59), participants with advanced CKD (eGFR <30) were more likely to have clinically significant cognitive impairment on global cognition (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.9), naming (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0-3.3), attention (OR 2.4, 95%CI 1.3-4.5), executive function (OR 2.5, 95%CI 1.9- 4.4) and delayed memory, (OR=1.5, 95%CI 0.9-2.6) but not on category fluency (OR=1.1, 95% CI 0.6-2.0).

Conclusions

Among older adults with CKD, lower level of kidney function was associated with lower cognitive function on most domains. Our results suggest that older patients with advanced CKD should be screened for cognitive impairment.

Background and objectives. Rates of dialysis withdrawal are higher among the elderly and lower among Blacks, yet it is unknown whether preferences for withdrawal and engagement in advance care planning also vary by age and race or ethnicity.

Design, setting, participants and methods. We recruited 61 participants from two dialysis clinics to complete questionnaires regarding dialysis withdrawal preferences in five different health states. Engagement in advance care planning (end-of-life discussions), completion of advance directives and ‘do not resuscitate’ or ‘do not intubate’ (DNR/DNI) orders were ascertained by a questionnaire and from dialysis unit records.

Results. The mean age was 62 ± 15 years; 38% were Black, 11% were Latino, 34% were White and 16% of participants were Asian. Blacks were less likely to prefer dialysis withdrawal as compared with Whites (odds ratio 0.16, 95% confidence interval 0.03–0.88) and other race/ethnicity groups, and this difference was not explained by age, education, comorbidity and other confounders. In contrast, older age was not associated with preferences for withdrawal. Rates of engagement in end-of-life discussions were higher than for documentation of advance care planning for all age and most race/ethnicity groups. Although younger participants and minorities were generally less likely to document treatment preferences as compared with older patients and Whites, they were not less likely to engage in end-of-life discussions.

Conclusions. Preferences for withdrawal vary by race/ ethnicity, whereas the pattern of engagement in advance care planning varies by age and race/ethnicity. Knowledge of these differences may be useful for improving communication about end-of-life preferences and in implementing effective advance care planning strategies among diverse haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND

It is unclear whether functional status before dialysis is maintained after the initiation of this therapy in elderly patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

METHODS

Using a national registry of patients undergoing dialysis, which was linked to a national registry of nursing home residents, we identified all 3702 nursing home residents in the United States who were starting treatment with dialysis between June 1998 and October 2000 and for whom at least one measurement of functional status was available before the initiation of dialysis. Functional status was measured by assessing the degree of dependence in seven activities of daily living (on the Minimum Data Set–Activities of Daily Living [MDS–ADL] scale of 0 to 28 points, with higher scores indicating greater functional difficulty).

RESULTS

The median MDS–ADL score increased from 12 during the 3 months before the initiation of dialysis to 16 during the 3 months after the initiation of dialysis. Three months after the initiation of dialysis, functional status had been maintained in 39% of nursing home residents, but by 12 months after the initiation of dialysis, 58% had died and predialysis functional status had been maintained in only 13%. In a random-effects model, the initiation of dialysis was associated with a sharp decline in functional status, indicated by an increase of 2.8 points in the MDS–ADL score (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5 to 3.0); this decline was independent of age, sex, race, and functional-status trajectory before the initiation of dialysis. The decline in functional status associated with the initiation of dialysis remained substantial (1.7 points; 95% CI, 1.4 to 2.1), even after adjustment for the presence or absence of an accelerated functional decline during the 3-month period before the initiation of dialysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Among nursing home residents with ESRD, the initiation of dialysis is associated with a substantial and sustained decline in functional status.

Objective

Patients on dialysis maintain extremely low levels of physical activity. Prior studies have demonstrated a direct correlation between nutrition and physical activity but provide conflicting data on the link between inflammation and physical activity. Using a cohort of patients new to dialysis from the Comprehensive Dialysis Study (CDS), we examined associations of self-reported physical activity with laboratory markers of nutrition and inflammation.

Design, setting & patients

Between September 2005 and June 2007, CDS collected data on self-reported physical activity, nutrition and health-related quality of life from patients starting dialysis in 296 facilities located throughout the United States. Baseline serum samples were collected from participants in a nutrition sub-study of CDS.

Measures

Serum albumin and prealbumin were measured as markers of nutrition and C-reactive protein and α-1-acid glycoprotein as markers of inflammation. Self-reported physical activity was characterized by the maximal activity score (MAS) and adjusted activity score (AAS) of the Human Activity Profile.

Results

The mean age of participants in the analytic cohort (n=201) was 61 years. The MAS and AAS were below the 10th and first percentile respectively in comparison to healthy 60 year-old norms. Both activity scores were directly correlated with albumin (r2=0.3, p<0.0001) and prealbumin (r2=0.3, p<0.0001), and inversely correlated with C-reactive protein (r2=-0.2, p=0.01 for AAS and r2 = -0.1, p=0.08 for MAS). In multivariable analyses adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, diabetes status and center, both activity scores were directly correlated with prealbumin and inversely correlated with C-reactive protein.

Conclusions

Patients new to dialysis with laboratory-based evidence of malnutrition and/or inflammation are likely to report lower levels of physical activity.

Background

Diabetes is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Whether reclassification of CKD stages based on glomerular filtration rate estimated using the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation versus the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation modifies estimates of prevalent risk factors across stages is unknown.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP), a community-based health screening program targeting individuals 18 years and older with diabetes, hypertension, or a family history of diabetes, hypertension, or kidney disease. Of 109,055 participants, 68.2% were women and 31.8% were African American. Mean age was 55.3 ± 0.05 years. Clinical, demographic, and laboratory data were collected from August 2000 through December 2009. Glomerular filtration rate was estimated using the CKD-EPI and MDRD Study equations.

Results

CKD was present in 25.6% and 23.5% of the study population using the MDRD Study and CKD-EPI equations, respectively. Diabetes was present in 42.4% and 43.8% of participants with CKD, respectively. Prevalent risk factors for diabetes included obesity (body mass index >30 kg/m2), 44.0%; hypertension, 80.5%; cardiovascular disease, 23.2%; family history of diabetes, 55.9%; and dyslipidemia, 43.0%. In a logistic regression model after adjusting for age and other risk factors, odds for diabetes increased significantly compared with no CKD with each CKD stage based on the CKD-EPI equation and similarly with stages based on the MDRD Study equation. Using a CKD-EPI–adjusted model, ORs were: stage 1, 2.08 (95% CI, 1.90–2.27); stage 2, 1.86 (95% CI, 1.72–2.02); stage 3, 1.23 (95% CI, 1.17–1.30); stage 4, 1.69 (95% CI, 1.42–2.03); and stage 5, 2.46 (95% CI, 1.46–4.14).

Conclusions

Using the CKD-EPI equation led to a lower prevalence of CKD but to similar diabetes prevalence rates associated with CKD across all stages compared with the MDRD Study equation. Diabetes and other CKD risk factor prevalence was increased compared with the non-CKD population.