Association of bradykinin receptor 2 (BDKRB2) variants with physical performance and muscle mass: Findings from the LACE sarcopenia trial.

Introduction: Understanding genetic contributors to sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle strength and mass) is key to finding effective therapies. Variants of the bradykinin receptor 2 (BDKRB2) have been linked to athletic and muscle performance. The rs1799722-9 and rs5810761 T alleles have been shown to be overrepresented in endurance athletes, possibly due to increased transcriptional rates of the receptor.

Acute Sarcopenia after Elective and Emergency Surgery.

Sarcopenia is an increasingly recognised condition of loss of muscle mass and function. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWSOP2) updated their definition in 2018, emphasising the importance of low muscle strength in diagnosis. Acute sarcopenia has been arbitrarily defined as sarcopenia lasting less than 6 months.

Adaptation of a respiratory service to provide CPAP for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, outside of a critical care setting, in a district general hospital.

Introduction: One-hundred and forty patients at Croydon University Hospital received continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on a specialist respiratory ward, as a bridge to invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or as a ceiling of care for COVID-19. This retrospective study aimed to outline service expansion, patient characteristics and explore risk factors in outcomes.

Results: Mean age of patients on CPAP was 64 years (standard deviation 12).

End-stage kidney disease on dialysis: an observational study of modality change from maximum conservative management.

Objectives: A rising burden from end-stage kidney disease with poor outcomes in the frail, elderly population has seen the emergence of a non-dialytic option, also known as maximum conservative management (MCM). Despite an established MCM programme in our institution, it was anecdotally observed that some MCM patients would end up being dialysed short and long term. We explored treatment modality changes from MCM to renal replacement therapy (RRT), the reasons surrounding the change, and aimed to quantify survival in this cohort of patients.

103-year-old on dialysis: was it worth it?

It is increasingly common for nephrologists to be faced with the question of whether starting dialysis on an elderly patient is appropriate. We present an extraordinary case of a 103-year-old person who has become the oldest patient in our unit, reportedly the world, to not only remain on haemodialysis, but to thrive on it. This case adds to the compelling literature, which suggests that it is indeed the number and severity of comorbidities that is more likely to impact survival than age alone.