Humans ; Hospital Mortality ; ROC Curve ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Heart Failure ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: Tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health problem that causes morbidity and mortality in millions of people per year. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of potential risk factors with TB mortality in Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 9,151 patients with TB from March 2017 to March 2018 in Iran. Data were gathered from all 429 counties of Iran by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Statistical Center of Iran. In this study, a generalized estimating equation-based zero-inflated negative binomial model was used to determine the effect of related factors on TB mortality at the community level. For data analysis, R version 3.4.2 was used with the relevant packages. RESULTS: The risk of mortality from TB was found to increase with the unemployment rate (β^=0.02), illiteracy (β^=0.04), household density per residential unit (β^=1.29), distance between the center of the county and the provincial capital (β^=0.03), and urbanization (β^=0.81). The following other risk factors for TB mortality were identified: diabetes (β^=0.02), human immunodeficiency virus infection (β^=0.04), infection with TB in the most recent 2 years (β^=0.07), injection drug use (β^=0.07), long-term corticosteroid use (β^=0.09), malignant diseases (β^=0.09), chronic kidney disease (β^=0.32), gastrectomy (β^=0.50), chronic malnutrition (β^=0.38), and a body mass index more than 10% under the ideal weight (β^=0.01). However, silicosis had no effect. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide useful information on risk factors for mortality from TB.
Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education, Medical ; Family Characteristics ; Gastrectomy ; HIV ; Humans ; Iran ; Literacy ; Malnutrition ; Models, Statistical ; Mortality ; Public Health ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Risk Factors ; Silicosis ; Statistics as Topic ; Tuberculosis ; Unemployment ; Urbanization

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases of chronic dialysis patients are often undertreated because of their higher surgical risk. This study aimed to assess mortality and morbidity after open heart surgery in chronic dialysis patients compared to those with normal renal function and identify risk factors for postoperative outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 2,432 patients who underwent open heart surgery from 2002 to 2017 and collected data from 116 patients (38 patients on dialysis and 78 age-, sex-, and diabetes mellitus status-matched control patients with normal kidney function). We assessed comorbidities, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, laboratory data, surgical methods, and postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: The dialysis group had more comorbidities, higher NYHA classes, and greater need for urgent surgeries compared to the control group. They exhibited significantly higher postoperative mortality (18.4% vs. 2.6%, P = 0.005) and more overall complications (65.8% vs. 25.6%, P < 0.001). Dialysis itself significantly increased relative risk for in-hospital mortality after adjustment. EuroSCORE II was not as useful as in the general population. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that total (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 10.7; P = 0.029) and in-hospital death risk (AOR, 14.7; P = 0.033), the durations of postoperative hospitalization (AOR, 4.6; P = 0.034), CRRT (AOR 36.8; P = 0.004), and ventilator use (AOR, 7.6; P = 0.022) were significantly increased in the dialysis group. CONCLUSION: The dialysis group exhibited a higher risk for mortality and overcall complications after open heart surgery compared to the patients with normal renal function. Therefore, the benefit of surgical treatment must be balanced against potential risks.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Comorbidity ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dialysis ; Heart ; Hospital Mortality ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Logistic Models ; Mortality ; Odds Ratio ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thoracic Surgery ; Ventilators, Mechanical

BACKGROUND: Controversies exist whether arteriovenous fistula (AVF) placement is preferred over arteriovenous graft (AVG) for elderly patients. Current guidelines did not offer specific recommendations. Thus, this study was conducted to analyze the all-cause mortality and primary patency associated with various vascular access (VA) types according to age group. METHODS: This retrospective observational study investigated the Korean insurance claims data of chronic kidney disease patients who began hemodialysis between January 2008 and December 2016. We investigated all-cause mortality associated with initial VA in incident hemodialysis patients and primary patency between AVF and AVG according to age group. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with a tunneled dialysis catheter (TDC) that was first placed for VA increased from 18.4% in 2008 to 52.3% in 2016. Incident hemodialysis patients with a TDC or AVG for the initial VA had significantly higher mortality risk than patients with an AVF, except for patients over 85 years, who showed no significant difference in all-cause mortality regardless of VA type. In the patency analysis on initial AV access, AVG had significantly poorer primary patency than AVF in all age groups. CONCLUSION: AVF had better patency than AVG in all age groups; however, the benefit of AVF attenuated in the older age groups. The mortality rate between AVF and AVG was not significantly different in patients over 85 years. Therefore, a “patient-first” approach should be emphasized over a “fistula-first” approach in AV access creation for incident hemodialysis patients older than 85 years.
Administrative Claims, Healthcare ; Aged ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Catheters ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Insurance ; Mortality ; National Health Programs ; Observational Study ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Mortality is higher in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) than in the general population, but little information is available on CKD-related mortality that is representative of the Korean population. Our objective was to investigate mortality risk in Korean patients with CKD. METHODS: We identified patients with incident CKD who had not undergone dialysis or kidney transplantation between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2007 in Korea using the database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort, and stratified the population into the following three groups: group 1 (n = 1,473), controls; group 2 (n = 2,212), patients with diabetes or hypertension, but without CKD; and group 3 (n = 2,212), patients with CKD. We then monitored them for all-cause mortality until December 2013. RESULTS: A total of 1,473 patients were included in this analysis. During the follow-up period, 941 patients in group 3 died (134 deaths/1,000 person-years) compared with 550 deaths in the group 2 (34 deaths/1,000 person-years) and 459 deaths in group 1 (30 deaths/1,000 person-years). The rate ratio for mortality rate was 4.5, and the hazard ratio for mortality was 4.88 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.36–5.47, P < 0.001) in patients in group 3 compared with age- and sex-matched controls (group 1). The rate ratio for mortality rate was 4.0, and the hazard ratio for mortality was 4.36 (95% CI, 3.92–4.85, P < 0.001) in patients in group 3 compared with patients in group 2. CONCLUSION: In this nationally representative sample cohort, excess mortality was observed in Korean patients with incident CKD.
Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dialysis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Kidney Transplantation ; Korea ; Mortality ; National Health Programs ; Renal Insufficiency ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic

Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-stabilizers are being developed for the renal anemia treatment. This small molecules inhibit prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD)-containing enzymes, causing HIF activation instead of degradation under the state of normoxia, finally increase production of intrinsic erythropoiesis. Current treatment guidelines suggest that renal anemia should be treated mainly with iron and erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs). But there are several complications and concerns such as hypertension, ESA refractory anemia and increased cardiovascular mortality in using ESAs. Advantages of HIF stabilizers over ESAs are orally available, no dose-up requirement for inflammation. So far new HIF stabilizers showed efficacy and safety in renal anemia treatment. This new therapeutic agent may emerge as a standard treatment option for renal anmia treatment.
Anemia ; Anemia, Refractory ; Anoxia ; Erythropoiesis ; Hematinics ; Hepcidins ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Inflammation ; Iron ; Mortality ; Prolyl Hydroxylases ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic

Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are very common in patients with chronic kidney disease, which may result in part from vascular calcification. Vascular calcification requires osteoblastic trans-differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells through an active and highly regulated process that is morphologically and functionally similar to bone formation in a number of ways. Multiple studies have been published on this topic, but the precise mechanism of vascular calcification remains unclear. This review presents recent insights into the mechanism of vascular calcification, as well as therapies that modulate mineral metabolism.
Humans ; Metabolism ; Miners ; Mortality ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Vascular Calcification

Hypertension affects the majority of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, end-stage renal disease and mortality. Previously, many hypertension guidelines have suggested blood pressure targets in patients with CKD. Recently, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association 2017 Guideline for Hypertension suggests a new definition for hypertension and therapeutic targets, which were equally applicated to patients with CKD. These changes reflect the results of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) study, but the renal outcome of intensive blood pressure control was not good. Furthermore, the majority of hypertension guidelines including those of the Korean Society of Hypertension and the European Society of Hypertension have retained the traditional definition. Herein, we intend to analyze in detail the effect of intensive blood pressure control on kidney through the post-hoc analyses of the SPRINT study.
Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Mortality ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic

OBJECTIVES: Tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health problem that causes morbidity and mortality in millions of people per year. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of potential risk factors with TB mortality in Iran.METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 9,151 patients with TB from March 2017 to March 2018 in Iran. Data were gathered from all 429 counties of Iran by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Statistical Center of Iran. In this study, a generalized estimating equation-based zero-inflated negative binomial model was used to determine the effect of related factors on TB mortality at the community level. For data analysis, R version 3.4.2 was used with the relevant packages.RESULTS: The risk of mortality from TB was found to increase with the unemployment rate (β^=0.02), illiteracy (β^=0.04), household density per residential unit (β^=1.29), distance between the center of the county and the provincial capital (β^=0.03), and urbanization (β^=0.81). The following other risk factors for TB mortality were identified: diabetes (β^=0.02), human immunodeficiency virus infection (β^=0.04), infection with TB in the most recent 2 years (β^=0.07), injection drug use (β^=0.07), long-term corticosteroid use (β^=0.09), malignant diseases (β^=0.09), chronic kidney disease (β^=0.32), gastrectomy (β^=0.50), chronic malnutrition (β^=0.38), and a body mass index more than 10% under the ideal weight (β^=0.01). However, silicosis had no effect.CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide useful information on risk factors for mortality from TB.
Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education, Medical ; Family Characteristics ; Gastrectomy ; HIV ; Humans ; Iran ; Literacy ; Malnutrition ; Models, Statistical ; Mortality ; Public Health ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Risk Factors ; Silicosis ; Statistics as Topic ; Tuberculosis ; Unemployment ; Urbanization

PURPOSE: The prevalence and treatment patterns of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) vary according to ethnicity and region. This study analyzed nationwide data on the epidemiology, practice patterns, and mortality rates of AAA in Korea.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from patients treated for AAA from 2012 to 2016 were extracted from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA) database.RESULTS: A total of 30,766 patients in Korea had treatment codes for AAA and 2,618 patients were treated for ruptured AAA. Of the 6,356 patients treated surgically, 1,849 and 4,507 underwent open surgical aneurysmal repairs (OSAR) or endovascular aneurysmal repairs (EVAR), respectively. The number of surgical treatments performed annually for AAA increased from 1,129 cases in 2012 to 1,501 cases in 2016. The number of EVAR cases increased from 753 to 1,109 during these five years, while the number of OSAR cases remained similar, at 376 and 392, respectively. The 30-day mortality rates after EVAR and OSAR were 4.2% and 10.6%, respectively. The mortality rates were significantly higher in patients with hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic renal disease, diabetes mellitus, and congestive heart failure. There were significant differences in the prevalence, proportion of EVAR, and mortality rates according to the regional area.CONCLUSION: The prevalence of AAA and the proportion of EVAR in Korea increased in the past 5 years, while the rupture rate and the proportion of OSAR remained similar. To minimize mortality and regional discrepancies, nationwide registry and treatment standardization are needed.
Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dyslipidemias ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Mortality ; National Health Programs ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Rupture