Abstract Background and Aims Attaining the narrow hemoglobin range (10-12 g/dL) recommended by current ERBP renal anemia guidelines may be difficult, and whether this leads to better outcomes is not well known. This study aimed to identify patient and clinical factors associated with difficulties in maintaining hemoglobin target ranges in routine non-dialysis nephrologist care. We also evaluated whether adherence to ERBP hemoglobin recommendations during pre-dialysis care predicted early post-dialysis outcomes. Method Observational study from the Swedish Renal Registry including all patients with non-dialysis dependent CKD stages 3b-5 developing renal anemia or initiating treatment (iron, ESA or both) between 2012-2016. Through multinomial logistic regression with clustered variance, we identified clinical conditions associated to serum hemoglobin values outside the ERBP recommended range (<10 and >12 g/dL) throughout all recorded patient visits until death, dialysis or end of follow-up. For those who initiated dialysis, we calculated the proportion of patient-time in which hemoglobin was maintained within range (time in range [TIR]). We then explored associations between TIR and subsequent one-year risk of death or MACE (composite of death caused by CVD and non-fatal MI, stroke, heart failure) with Cox proportional hazards regression. Results A total 8106 patients with CKD 3b-5 developed incident anemia in Sweden during 2012-2016, contributing with 37422 nephrology visits during median 2 years of follow up. In multinomial logistic regression, being a man and having received iron or higher ESA doses was associated with hemoglobin values outside target range. Patients with CKD 3b and 4, ongoing transplant, history of CVD, or with higher serum calcium and albumin levels had higher odds of maintaining hemoglobin values above range. Conversely, recent bleeding or transfusions, nephrosclerosis, inflammation (CRP>5 mg/dl), and higher phosphate levels increased the odds of having hemoglobin values below range. A total 2435 patients initiated maintenance dialysis during the study period. Of those, 327 died and 701 developed MACE during the subsequent year. Their median TIR during their pre-dialysis period was 44% (IQR: 34-50). On a continuous scale (FIGURE), we observed worse outcomes for patients with poor guideline recommendation adherence (low percentage TIR), although the association was judged weak. On a categorical scale, patients that spent more than 40% of their pre-dialysis TIR had lower hazards of death (0.57, 95% CI 0.41-0.80) and MACE (0.67, 95% CI, 0.54-0.84) compared to those with <44% TIR. Conclusion This nationwide study reports that greater adherence to ERBP anemia guidelines during pre-dialysis care, using existing conventional therapeutic approaches, is associated with better post-dialysis outcomes. Whether active interaction by healthcare practitioners affected the observed relationship needs to be further explored.
Trial evidence indicates that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) may reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with diabetes and myocardial infarction (MI). We aimed to expand this observation to routine care settings.Prospective observational study including all patients with diabetes surviving an MI and registered in the nationwide SWEDEHEART registry during 2010-17. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to estimate the association between GLP-1 RAs use and the study outcome, which was a composite of stroke, heart failure, Re-infarction, or CV death. Covariates included demographics, comorbidities, presentation at admission, and use of secondary CV prevention therapies. In total, 17 868 patients with diabetes were discharged alive after a first event of MI. Their median age was 71 years, 36% were women and their median estimated glomerular filtration rate was 75 mL/min/1.73m2. Of those, 365 (2%) were using GLP-1 RAs. During median 3 years of follow-up, 7005 patients experienced the primary composite outcome. Compared with standard of diabetes care, use of GLP-1 RAs was associated with a lower event risk [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.56-0.92], mainly attributed to a lower rate of re-infarction and stroke. Results were similar after propensity score matching or when compared with users of sulfonylurea. There was no suggestion of heterogeneity across subgroups of age, sex, chronic kidney disease, and STEMI.GLP-1 RAs use, compared with standard of diabetes care, was associated with lower risk for major CV events in healthcare-managed survivors of an MI.
Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health problem affected by under-recognition and under-treatment in primary care settings. Electronic clinical decision support (CDS) triggering systems have the potential to improve detection and management of people with CKD by assisting clinicians in adhering to guideline recommendations. We aimed to test whether an electronic CDS triggering system would improve the detection, recognition, and management of patients with CKD in primary care. Method/Design This is a pragmatic cluster-randomized controlled trial where 66 primary healthcare centers from the Stockholm Region, Sweden were randomized 1:1 to receive either a new expanded CDS-triggering system offering kidney-specific advice or to continue with their current CDS-triggering system. The expanded CDS system reminds and provides practical facilitators of the processes of CKD screening, recognition with a diagnosis, management and referral to specialist care. The trial duration is 24 months and it is embedded into the Stockholm CREAtinine measurements (SCREAM) project, a repository of healthcare data from the region, which minimizes disturbances with healthcare praxis due to the trial and makes it fully pragmatic. The primary outcomes are the number of eligible patients screened for creatinine and albuminuria once annually and the re-testing of these labs within 6 months in patients with abnormal eGFR or albuminuria. Secondary outcomes are the proportions of issued clinical diagnoses among those fulfilling criteria, proportions of patients with significant albuminuria receiving prescribed nephroprotective medications, proportions of accepted referrals to nephrologist care among those fulfilling criteria and proportion of referrals for ultrasound of the kidneys. Discussion Prior pragmatic trials of CDS-systems in CKD has shown an improvement in quality indicators primarily in patients already diagnosed with CKD. This study expands this evidence by focusing on the process of screening, identification, monitoring and diagnostic work-up. Conclusion This pragmatic trial will assess the value of CDS for improved adherence to CKD guidelines in primary care. Clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT06386172, submitted 2024-04-23.
Abstract Introduction High physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer, potentially by a mechanism that also reduces mammographic density. We tested the hypothesis that the risk of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years according to the Tyrer-Cuzick prediction model influences the association between physical activity and mammographic density. Methods We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study of 38,913 Swedish women aged 40–74 years. Physical activity was assessed using the validated web-questionnaire Active-Q and mammographic density was measured by the fully automated volumetric Volpara method. The 10-year risk of breast cancer was estimated using the Tyrer-Cuzick (TC) prediction model. Linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between physical activity and volumetric mammographic density and the potential interaction with the TC breast cancer risk. Results Overall, high physical activity was associated with lower absolute dense volume. As compared to women with the lowest total activity level (<40 metabolic equivalent hours [MET-h] per day), women with the highest total activity level (≥50 MET-h/day) had an estimated 3.4 cm 3 (95% confidence interval, 2.3-4.7) lower absolute dense volume. The inverse association was seen for any type of physical activity among women with <3.0% TC 10-year risk, but only for total and vigorous activities among women with 3.0-4.9% TC risk, and only for vigorous activity among women with ≥5.0% TC risk. The association between total activity and absolute dense volume was modified by the TC breast cancer risk ( P interaction = 0.05). As anticipated, high physical activity was also associated with lower non-dense volume. No consistent association was found between physical activity and percent dense volume. Conclusions Our results suggest that physical activity may decrease breast cancer risk through reducing mammographic density, and that the physical activity needed to reduce mammographic density may depend on background risk of breast cancer.
