The incidence and prevalence of kidney stones have increased over the past four decades. However, the diagnosis of 'kidney stone' can range from an incidental asymptomatic finding of limited clinical ...significance to multiple painful episodes of ureteral obstruction with eventual kidney failure. Some general strategies may be useful to prevent the recurrence of kidney stones. In particular, greater attention to kidney stone classification, approaches to assessing the risk of recurrence and individualized prevention strategies may improve the clinical care of stone formers. Although there have been some advances in approaches to predicting the recurrence of kidney stones, notable challenges remain. Studies of kidney stone prevalence, incidence and recurrence have reported inconsistent findings, in part because of the lack of a standardized stone classification system. A kidney stone classification system based on practical and clinically useful measures of stone disease may help to improve both the study and clinical care of stone formers. Any future kidney stone classification system should be aimed at distinguishing asymptomatic from symptomatic stones, clinically diagnosed symptomatic stone episodes from self-reported symptomatic stone episodes, symptomatic stone episodes that are confirmed from those that are suspected, symptomatic recurrence from radiographic recurrence (that is, with radiographic evidence of a new stone, stone growth or stone disappearance from presumed passage) and determine stone composition based on mutually exclusive categories.
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FZAB, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a worldwide public health concern. Coffee might have a protective effect against NAFLD. However, the results of previous reports are ...conflicting. Therefore, we carried out this meta-analysis to summarize all available data.
METHODSThis study consisted of two meta-analyses. The first meta-analysis included observational studies comparing the risk of NAFLD in patients who did and did not drink coffee. The second analysis included studies comparing the risk of liver fibrosis between NAFLD patients who did and did not drink coffee. Pooled risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.
RESULTSOut of 355 articles, five studies fulfilled our eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis. The risk of NAFLD in patients who drank coffee was significantly lower than that in patients who did not pooled RR 0.71 (95% CI, 0.60–0.85). We also found a significantly decreased risk of liver fibrosis among NAFLD patients who drank coffee compared with those who did not, with a pooled RR of 0.70 (95% CI, 0.60–0.82). However, it should be noted that the definition of regular coffee consumption varied between studies, which is the main limitation of this meta-analysis.
CONCLUSIONOur study found a significantly decreased risk of NAFLD among coffee drinkers and significantly decreased risk of liver fibrosis among patients with NAFLD who drank coffee on a regular basis. Whether consumption of coffee could be considered a preventative measure against NAFLD needs further investigations.
Serum creatinine (SCr) has been widely used to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Creatinine generation could be reduced in the setting of low skeletal muscle mass. Thus, SCr has also been ...used as a surrogate of muscle mass. Low muscle mass is associated with reduced survival in hospitalized patients, especially in the intensive care unit (ICU) settings. Recently, studies have demonstrated high mortality in ICU patients with low admission SCr levels, reflecting that low muscle mass or malnutrition, are associated with increased mortality. However, SCr levels can also be influenced by multiple GFR- and non-GFR-related factors including age, diet, exercise, stress, pregnancy, and kidney disease. Imaging techniques, such as computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound, have recently been studied for muscle mass assessment and demonstrated promising data. This article aims to present the perspectives of the uses of SCr and other methods for prediction of muscle mass and outcomes of ICU patients.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Nintedanib and pirfenidone are two antifibrotic ...medications currently approved for slowing the rate of lung function decline in IPF, but data on treatment effect on mortality and risk of acute exacerbation (AE) remains limited or unknown.
Does antifibrotic treatment decrease risk of mortality and AE?
A comprehensive search of several databases, including Ovid MEDLINE(R), Ovid Embase, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus, was conducted. Studies were included if they were original articles comparing mortality or AE events in IPF patients with and without antifibrotic treatment. Relative risk (RR) with 95%CI was pooled using random-effects meta-analyses with inverse variance method, assessing two primary outcomes of all-cause mortality and AE risk.
A total of 12,956 patients across 26 studies (eight randomized controlled trials and 18 cohort studies) were included in the meta-analysis. Antifibrotic treatment was associated with decreased risk of all-cause mortality with a pooled RR of 0.55 (95% CI, 0.45-0.66) and I2 of 82%. This effect was consistent across additional subgroup analyses, including stratification by study type, risk of bias, duration of follow-up, and antifibrotic subtype. Antifibrotic treatment also reduced the risk of AE, with a pooled RR of 0.63 (95% CI, 0.53-0.76), and I2 of 0%. Effect on AE risk was consistent across subgroup analyses by study type and for nintedanib but not for pirfenidone.
Antifibrotic treatment appears to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality and AE in IPF. Despite greater heterogeneity with pooled analysis, its effect was robust in subgroup analyses by study type, duration of follow-up, and antifibrotic subtype.
Serum Cl (sCl) alterations in hospitalized patients have not been comprehensively studied in recent years. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence and outcome significance of (1) sCl ...alterations on hospital admission, and (2) sCl evolution within the first 48 hr of hospital admission. We conducted a retrospective study of all hospital admissions in the years 2011-2013 at Mayo Clinic Rochester, a 2000-bed tertiary medical center. Outcome measures included hospital mortality, length of hospital stay and discharge disposition. 76,719 unique admissions (≥18 years old) were studied. Based on hospital mortality, sCl in the range of 105-108 mmol/L was found to be optimal. sCl <100 (n = 13,611) and >108 (n = 11,395) mmol/L independently predicted a higher risk of hospital mortality, longer hospital stay and being discharged to a care facility. 13,089 patients (17.1%) had serum anion gap >12 mmol/L; their hospital mortality, when compared to 63,630 patients (82.9%) with anion gap ≤12 mmol/L, was worse. Notably, patients with elevated anion gap displayed a progressively worsening mortality with rising sCl. sCl elevation within 48 hr of admission was associated with a higher proportion of 0.9% saline administration and was an independent predictor for hospital mortality. Moreover, the magnitude of sCl rise was inversely correlated to the days of patient survival. In conclusion, serum Cl alterations on admission predict poor clinical outcomes. Post-admission sCl increase, due to Cl-rich fluid infusion, independently predicts hospital mortality. These results raise a critical question of whether iatrogenic cause of hyperchloremia should be avoided, a question to be addressed by future prospective studies.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
While an association between hypoalbuminemia and increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) is well-established, the risk of AKI development and its severity among patients with elevated serum ...albumin is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of AKI in hospitalized patients stratified by various admission serum albumin levels.
This single-center retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital. All adult hospitalized patients who had admission albumin levels available between January 2009 and December 2013 were enrolled. Admission albumin was categorized based on its distribution into six groups (≤2.4, 2.5-2.9, 3.0-3.4, 3.5-3.9, 4.0-4.4, and ≥4.5 mg/dL). The primary outcome was the incidence of hospital-acquired AKI (HAKI). Logistic regression analysis was performed to obtain the odds ratio of AKI for various admission albumin strata using the albumin 3.5 to 3.9 mg/dL (lowest incidence of AKI) as the reference group.
Of the total 9,552 studied patients, HAKI occurred in 1,556 (16.3%) patients. The incidence of HAKI among patients with admission albumin ≤2.4, 2.5-2.9, 3.0-3.4, 3.5-3.9, 4.0-4.4, and ≥4.5 mg/dL was 18.3%, 14.3%, 15.5%, 14.2%, 16.7%, and 26.0%, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, admission serum albumin levels ≤2.4 and ≥4.5 mg/dL were associated with an increased risk of HAKI with odds ratios of 1.52 (95% CI 1.18-1.94) and 2.16 (95% CI 1.74-2.69), respectively. While stage 1 HAKI was significantly more frequent among patients with admission albumin ≥4.5 mg/dL (23.0% vs. 11.6%, P<0.001), incidence of stage 3 HAKI was higher in those with albumin ≤2.4 mg/dL (2.8% vs 0.3%, P<0.001).
Admission serum albumin levels ≤2.4 and ≥4.5 mg/dL were associated with an increased risk for HAKI. Patients with admission albumin ≥4.5 mg/dL had HAKI with a lower intensity when compared with those who had admission albumin levels ≤2.4 mg/dL.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
To examine the prevalence of serum magnesium (Mg) alterations and outcomes in hospitalized patients.
All admissions to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from January 1, 2009, through December 31, ...2013 (288,120 patients), were screened. Admission Mg from each unique patient and relevant clinical data were extracted from the institutional electronic database.
After excluding patients aged less than 18 years, those without Mg measurement, and readmission episodes, a total of 65,974 patients were studied. Magnesium levels of 2.1 mg/dL or higher were found in 20,777 patients (31.5%), and levels less than 1.7 mg/dL were noted in 13,320 (20.2%). Hypomagnesemia was common in patients with hematologic/oncological disorders, and hypermagnesemia was common in those with cardiovascular disease. The lowest hospital mortality, assessed by restricted cubic spline and percentage death, occurred in patients with Mg levels between 1.7 and 1.89 mg/dL. An Mg level of less than 1.7 mg/dL was independently associated with an increased risk of hospital mortality after adjusting for all variables except the admission diagnosis; risk for longer hospital stay and being discharged to a care facility were increased in the fully adjusted model. An elevated Mg level of 2.3 mg/dL or higher was a predictor for all adverse outcomes. The magnitude of Mg elevations in patients with levels of 2.3 mg/dL or higher (N=7908) was associated with worse hospital mortality in a dose-response manner. In patients with cardiovascular diseases, Mg levels of 1.5 to 1.69 mg/dL and 2.3 mg/dL or higher both independently predicted poor outcomes including hospital mortality.
Dysmagnesemia in hospitalized patients is common, with hypermagnesemia being most prevalent. Compared with hypomagnesemia, hypermagnesemia is a stronger predictor for poor outcomes. Magnesium supplementation for patients without Mg deficiency should be avoided in the absence of randomized controlled trials documenting a benefit.
Use of rituximab (RTX) for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease (MCD) is widely described in children. Clinical evidence in adults is limited. The objective of this ...study was to determine the treatment outcomes of RTX in adults with FSGS and MCD.
Ovid MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched up to September 2019. Out of 699 studies, we included 16 studies describing the treatment outcomes of rituximab in adult patients with FSGS or MCD. Results were reported in remission rate and relapse rate. Serious adverse events were also reported.
A total of 16 studies were included in our review and analysis. All studies were observational studies and included a total of 221 patients (23.1% FSGS, 76.9% MCD). Mean follow-up duration was 26.3 ± 12.8 months. From the analysis of five studies with FSGS patients (n = 51), the overall remission rate and relapse rate of RTX therapy was 53.6% (95% CI, 15.8-87.6%) and 47.3% (95% CI, 25.4-70.2%), respectively. Complete remission occurred in 42.9%. In contrast, from the analysis of 11 studies with MCD patients (n = 170), the overall remission rate and relapse rate of RTX therapy was 80.3% (95% CI, 68.5-88.5%) and 35.9% (95% CI, 25.1-48.4), respectively. Complete remission occurred in 74.7%. Subgroup analyses showed that overall remission and relapse were not different after adjusted for study year and RTX dose for both FSGS and MCD. Incidence of serious adverse events was 0.092 events/year.
Rituximab may be considered as an additional treatment to the standard therapy for adult patients with FSGS and MCD. Remissions and relapses are similar between FSGS and MCD. Serious adverse effects of rituximab were uncommon. We encourage further randomized controlled trials to confirm the efficacy of rituximab therapy in these patients.
Abstract
Cardiac dyssynchrony is the proposed mechanism for pacemaker-induced cardiomyopathy, which can be prevented by biventricular pacing. Left bundle branch pacing and His bundle pacing are novel ...interventions that imitate the natural conduction of the heart with, theoretically, less interventricular dyssynchrony. One of the surrogate markers of interventricular synchrony is QRS duration. Our study aimed to compare the change of QRS duration before and after implantation between types of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs): left bundle branch pacing versus His bundle pacing versus biventricular pacing and conventional right ventricular pacing. A literature search for studies that reported an interval change of QRS duration after CIED implantation was conducted utilizing the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. All relevant works from database inception through November 2020 were included in this analysis. A random-effects model, Bayesian network meta-analysis was used to analyze QRS duration changes (eg, electrical cardiac synchronization) across different CIED implantations. The mean study sample size, from 14 included studies, was 185 subjects. The search found 707 articles. After exclusions, 14 articles remained with 2,054 patients. The His bundle pacing intervention resulted in the most dramatic decline in QRS duration (mean difference, − 53 ms; 95% CI − 67, − 39), followed by left bundle branch pacing (mean difference, − 46 ms; 95% CI − 60, − 33), and biventricular pacing (mean difference, − 19 ms; 95% CI − 37, − 1.8), when compared to conventional right ventricle apical pacing. When compared between LBBP and HBP, showed no statistically significant wider QRS duration in LBBP with mean different 6.5 ms. (95% CI − 6.7, 21). Our network meta-analysis found that physiologic pacing has the greatest effect on QRS duration after implantation. Thus, HBP and LBBP showed no significant difference between QRS duration after implantation. Physiologic pacing interventions result in improved electrocardiography markers of cardiac synchrony, narrower QRS duration, and might lower electromechanical dyssynchrony.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK