Rationale & objective

The Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE) is a simple widely validated prediction model using age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio to predict the risk for end-stage kidney disease. Data are limited for its applicability to kidney transplant recipients.

Study design

Validation study of the KFRE as a post hoc analysis of the Folic Acid for Vascular Outcomes Reduction in Transplantation (FAVORIT) Trial.

Setting & participants

Adult kidney transplant recipients with functioning kidney allografts at least 6 months posttransplantation from 30 centers in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. Participants with estimated glomerular filtration rates < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² at study entry were included.

Predictor

2- and 5-year kidney failure risk predicted by the KFRE using variables at study entry.

Outcome

Graft loss, defined by initiation of dialysis.

Analytical approach

Discrimination of the KFRE was assessed using C statistics; calibration was assessed by plotting predicted risk against observed cumulative incidence of graft loss.

Results

2,889 participants were included. Within 2 years, 98 participants developed graft loss, 107 participants died with a functioning graft, and 129 participants were lost to follow-up, and by 5 years, 252 had developed graft loss, 265 died with a functioning graft, and 1,543 were lost to follow-up. The KFRE demonstrated accurate calibration and discrimination (C statistic, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.81-0.88] at 2 years and 0.81 [95% CI, 0.78-0.84] at 5 years); performance was similar regardless of donor type (living vs deceased) and graft vintage, with the noted exception of poorer calibration for graft vintage less than 2 years.

Limitations

Unavailable cause of graft loss.

Conclusions

The KFRE accurately predicted the risk for graft loss among adult kidney transplant recipients with graft vintage longer than 2 years and may be a useful prognostic tool for nephrologists caring for kidney transplant recipients.

Rationale & objective

Black kidney transplant recipients have higher prevalences of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and less intensive risk factor control than White kidney transplant recipients. Our objective was to evaluate racial disparities in receipt of statins and aspirin for secondary CVD prevention among kidney transplant recipients in the Folic Acid for Vascular Outcome Reduction in Transplantation (FAVORIT) trial.

Study design

Cohort study.

Setting & participants

FAVORIT participants of White, Black, and Other races from the United States and Canada with a history of CVD at study entry or who experienced a nonfatal CVD event during follow-up.

Predictor

Race.

Outcome

Receipt of statins and aspirin for secondary CVD prevention.

Analytical approach

We used parametric (Weibull), proportional-hazards, interval-censored survival models to evaluate the independent association of race with receipt of statins and aspirin for secondary CVD prevention.

Results

Of the 4,110 kidney transplant recipients enrolled in FAVORIT trial, 978 met the inclusion criteria (78% White, 17% Black, and 6% Other race). Compared with the White race, Black and Other races were associated with lower hazards of receiving statins (Black race: adjusted HR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.60-0.97]; Other race: adjusted HR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.60-1.27]) and aspirin (Black race: adjusted HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.67-1.08]; Other race: adjusted HR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.43-0.94]).

Limitations

Lack of granular information on potential indications or contraindications for aspirin or statin use for secondary CVD prevention.

Conclusions

Post hoc findings from the FAVORIT trial demonstrated that Black race was associated with a lower likelihood of receiving statins and Other race was associated with a lower likelihood of receiving aspirin for secondary CVD prevention. This represents a potential target to improve CVD care in non-White kidney transplant recipients.

It is unclear whether previously developed frameworks for effective consultation apply to requests initiated by alphanumeric text page. We assessed a random sample of 210 text paged consult requests for communication of previously described 'essential elements' for effective consultation: reason for consult, level of urgency and requester contact information. Overall page quality was evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale. Over 90% of text paged consult requests included contact information and reason for consult; 14% indicated level of urgency. In ordinal logistic regression, reason for consult was most strongly associated with quality (OR 22.4; 95% CI 8.1 to 61.7), followed by callback number (OR 6.2; 95% CI 0.8 to 49.5), caller's name (OR 5.0; 95% CI 1.9 to 13.1) and level of urgency (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.6 to 6.7). Results suggest that text paged consult requests often include most informational elements, and that urgency, often missing, may not be as 'essential' for text pages as it was once thought to be.

Background

In chronic kidney disease (CKD), assessment of both estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria are necessary for stratifying risk and determining the need for nephrology referral. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes clinical practice guidelines for CKD recommend nephrology referral for eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73m² or for urinary albumin/creatinine ratio ≥ 300 mg/g.

Methods

Using a national claims database of US patients covered by commercial insurance or Medicare Advantage, we identified patients with CKD who were actively followed in primary care. We examined receipt of nephrology care within 1 year among these patients according to their stage of CKD, classified using eGFR and albuminuria categories. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine odds of receiving nephrology care by CKD category, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, diabetes, heart failure, and coronary artery disease.

Results

Among 291,155 patients with CKD, 55% who met guideline-recommended referral criteria had seen a nephrologist. Receipt of guideline-recommended nephrology care was higher among those with eGFR < 30 (64%; 11,330/17738) compared with UACR ≥300 mg/g (51%; 8789/17290). 59% did not have albuminuria testing. Those patients without albuminuria testing had substantially lower adjusted odds of recommended nephrology care (aOR 0.47 [0.43, 0.52] for eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73m²). Similar patterns were observed in analyses stratified by diabetes status.

Conclusions

Only half of patients meeting laboratory criteria for nephrology referral were seen by a nephrologist. Underutilization of albuminuria testing may be a barrier to identifying primary care patients at elevated kidney failure risk who may warrant nephrology referral.

Rationale & objective

Patient awareness of disease is the first step toward effective management and disease control. Awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has consistently been shown to be low, but studies estimating patient awareness of CKD have used different methods. We sought to determine whether the estimated prevalence of CKD awareness differed by the wording used to ascertain awareness or by setting characteristics.

Study design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Setting & study populations

Adults with CKD not receiving dialysis.

Selection criteria for studies

We included studies that estimated CKD awareness, determined CKD status by laboratory criteria, and provided the exact question wording used to ascertain awareness.

Data extraction

2 reviewers independently extracted data for each study; discordance was resolved by a third independent reviewer.

Analytical approach

Mixed-effects models were used to calculate pooled CKD awareness estimates and 95% CIs.

Results

32 studies were included. Publication year ranged from 2004 to 2017, with study populations ranging from 107 to 28,923 individuals. CKD awareness in individual studies ranged from 0.9% to 94.0%. Pooled CKD awareness was 19.2% (95% CI, 10.0%-33.6%) overall and was 26.5% (95% CI, 11.9%-48.9%) among individuals with an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m². "Kidney problem" was the most sensitive question for CKD awareness (58.7%; 95% CI, 32.4%-80.8%); "weak or failing kidneys" was the least sensitive (12.3%; 95% CI, 4.5%-29.4%). CKD awareness was highest among patients from nephrology practices (86.2%; 95% CI, 74.9%-93.0%) and lowest in the general population (7.3%; 95% CI, 5.0%-10.5%).

Limitations

Significant heterogeneity across studies overall and among examined subgroups of wording and study setting.

Conclusions

Differently worded questions may lead to widely different estimates of CKD awareness. Consistent terminology is likely needed to most effectively surveil and leverage CKD awareness to improve management and disease control.

Since 2003, US hypertension guidelines have recommended ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors or ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) as first-line antihypertensive therapy in the presence of albuminuria (urine albumin/creatinine ratio ≥300 mg/g). To examine national trends in guideline-concordant ACE inhibitor/ARB utilization, we studied adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2001 to 2018 with hypertension (defined by self-report of high blood pressure, systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic ≥90 mm Hg, or use of antihypertensive medications). Among 20 538 included adults, the prevalence of albuminuria ≥300 mg/g was 2.8% in 2001 to 2006, 2.8% in 2007 to 2012, and 3.2% in 2013 to 2018. Among those with albuminuria ≥300 mg/g, no consistent trends were observed for the proportion receiving ACE inhibitor/ARB treatment from 2001 to 2018 among persons with diabetes, without diabetes, or overall. In 2013 to 2018, ACE inhibitor/ARB usage in the setting of albuminuria ≥300 mg/g was 55.3% (95% CI, 46.8%-63.6%) among adults with diabetes and 33.4% (95% CI, 23.1%-45.5%) among those without diabetes. Based on US population counts, these estimates represent 1.6 million adults with albuminuria ≥300 mg/g currently not receiving ACE inhibitor/ARB therapy, nearly half of whom do not have diabetes. ACE inhibitor/ARB underutilization represents a significant gap in preventive care delivery for adults with hypertension and albuminuria that has not substantially changed over time.

Rationale & objective

Persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are often unaware of their disease status. Efforts to improve CKD awareness may be most effective if focused on persons at highest risk for progression to kidney failure.

Study design

Serial cross-sectional surveys.

Setting & participants

Nonpregnant adults (aged≥20 years) with CKD glomerular filtration rate categories 3-4 (G3-G4) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2016 (n = 3,713).

Predictor

5-year kidney failure risk, estimated using the Kidney Failure Risk Equation. Predicted risk was categorized as minimal (<2%), low (2%-<5%), intermediate (5%-<15%), or high (≥15%).

Outcome

CKD awareness, defined by answering "yes" to the question "Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you had weak or failing kidneys?"

Analytical approach

Prevalence of CKD awareness was estimated within each risk group using complex sample survey methods. Associations between Kidney Failure Risk Equation risk and CKD awareness were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. CKD awareness was compared with awareness of hypertension and diabetes during the same period.

Results

In 2011 to 2016, unadjusted CKD awareness was 9.6%, 22.6%, 44.7%, and 49.0% in the minimal-, low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively. In adjusted analyses, these proportions did not change over time. Awareness of CKD, including among the highest risk group, remains consistently below that of hypertension and diabetes and awareness of these conditions increased over time.

Limitations

Imperfect sensitivity of the "weak or failing kidneys" question for ascertaining CKD awareness.

Conclusions

Among adults with CKD G3-G4 who have 5-year estimated risks for kidney failure of 5%-<15% and≥15%, approximately half were unaware of their kidney disease, a gap that has persisted nearly 2 decades.