Publications by authors named "Connie Rhee"

Background: Patients on hemodialysis (HD) have a high burden of emotional and physical symptoms. These symptoms are often under-recognized. NLP can be used to identify patient symptoms from the EHR.

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Introduction: Niacin is a non-statin lipid-lowering therapy that has been shown to lower triglycerides and improve other risk factors for renal outcomes. Despite these favorable data, the effect of niacin on long-term kidney outcomes remains unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the associations of niacin therapies with incident chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and death in patients with estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) of at least 60 mL/min/1.

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This report represents the conclusions of 15 experts in nephrology and endocrinology, based on their knowledge of key studies and evidence in the field, on the role of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), including those receiving dialysis. The experts discussed issues related to CGM accuracy, indications, education, clinical outcomes, quality of life, research gaps, and barriers to dissemination. Three main goals of management for patients with CKD and diabetes were identified: (1) greater use of CGMs for better glycemic monitoring and management, (2) further research evaluating the accuracy, feasibility, outcomes, and potential value of CGMs in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on hemodialysis, and (3) equitable access to CGM technology for patients with CKD.

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Article Synopsis
  • Protein-energy wasting (PEW) is a significant issue in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially as the disease advances, leading to increased risks of hospitalization and mortality.
  • Research indicates that low levels of serum albumin, body mass index (BMI), and inadequate dietary intake of energy and protein are linked to the progression of CKD.
  • Effective management of PEW may involve a tailored nutrition plan, including a moderately low protein diet and appropriate supplementation, alongside addressing other health conditions and lifestyle factors.
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Purpose Of Review: Initiation of hemodialysis treatment with a thrice-weekly prescription is currently the standard of care irrespective of patients' residual kidney function (RKF), comorbidities, and preferences.

Recent Findings: Each year ∼12 000 Veterans with advanced kidney disease progress to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) requiring dialysis and comprise greater than 10% of the US incident ESKD population. Dialysis is costly and is associated with impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and high mortality risk, especially in the first year of treatment.

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  • An error grid is a tool that helps compare glucose levels measured by devices to see if they are correct and to identify any risks.
  • Experts created a new error grid called the DTS Error Grid that works for both blood glucose monitors (BGMs) and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), organizing accuracy into five risk zones.
  • The results showed that the DTS Error Grid provides a clearer picture of how accurate these devices are and includes a separate matrix to evaluate how well CGMs track glucose trends over time.
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Individuals with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on dialysis experience high mortality and excessive burden of hospitalizations over time relative to comparable Medicare patient cohorts without kidney failure. A key interest in this population is to understand the time-dynamic effects of multilevel risk factors that contribute to the correlated outcomes of longitudinal hospitalization and mortality. For this we utilize multilevel data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), a national database that includes nearly all patients with ESKD, where repeated measurements/hospitalizations over time are nested in patients and patients are nested within (health service) regions across the contiguous U.

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  • Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) may provide valuable glucose measurements for diabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis, but its accuracy compared to traditional blood glucose monitoring is unclear.
  • The study involved 31 hemodialysis patients, measuring glucose levels with Dexcom G6 CGM and blood glucose periodically; results indicated moderate correlations and some differences in measurements.
  • Despite CGM showing higher mean absolute relative differences than optimal thresholds, most values fell within clinically acceptable ranges, suggesting potential merit in using CGM for this patient group, but further research is necessary.
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Iodinated contrast is commonly used for radiological procedures, with one dose delivering several hundred-fold the daily requirements needed for normal thyroid hormone production. Risks of excess iodine include incident thyroid dysfunction, which is associated with adverse cardiac outcomes, yet there are no prospective studies investigating the changes in cardiac physiology following iodine contrast administration. This study was conducted to investigate the longitudinal relationships between the amount of iodinated contrast administration and changes in cardiac electrophysiology and structure.

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Diabetes is the leading cause and a common comorbidity of advanced chronic kidney disease. Glycaemic management in this population is challenging and characterised by frequent excursions of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Current glucose monitoring tools, such as HbA, fructosamine and glycated albumin, have biases in this population and provide information only on mean glucose exposure.

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Background: We examined the real-world comparative safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) vs. other newer anti-glycemic medications (dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors [DPP4i], glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists [GLP1a]) in patients with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: Among US Veterans with diabetes receiving care from the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system over 2004-19, we identified incident users of SGLT2i vs.

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Iodine is a micronutrient that is required for thyroid hormone synthesis. The iodide cycle in thyroid hormone synthesis consists of a series of transport, oxidation, organification, and binding/coupling steps in thyroid follicular cells. Common sources of iodine include the consumption of an iodine-rich diet or iodine-fortified foods, the administration of amiodarone, iodine-containing supplements, or iodinated contrast media, and other miscellaneous sources.

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Dialysis has been the dominant treatment regimen in end-stage kidney disease as a means to remove uremic waste products and to maintain electrolyte, acid base, and fluid balance. However, given that dialysis may not always provide a survival benefit nor improved quality of life in certain subpopulations, there is growing recognition of the need for conservative and preservative management as an alternative treatment strategy for advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Personalized nutritional management tailored to patient's sociodemographics, social needs, psychological status, health literacy level, and preferences is a key component of conservative and preservative care, as well as in the management of patients transitioning from non-dialysis dependent CKD to dialysis.

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Context: Iodinated contrast media (ICM) is a common source of excess iodine in medical settings, given the common use of iodinated radiologic procedures.

Objective: To determine the long-term risks of thyroid dysfunction following iodinated contrast administration in a prospective study.

Design, Setting, Participants: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted of patients in the U.

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More than one-third of people with diabetes develop diabetic kidney disease (DKD), which substantially increases risks of kidney failure, cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypoglycemia, death, and other adverse health outcomes. A multifaceted approach incorporating self-management education, lifestyle optimization, pharmacological intervention, CVD prevention, and psychosocial support is crucial to mitigate the onset and progression of DKD. The American Diabetes Association convened an expert panel to develop the DKD Prevention Model presented herein.

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This article examines the importance of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and summarizes the structure of AGEs, pathological changes associated with AGEs, the contribution of AGEs to metabolic memory, and the value of AGEs as a predictor of diabetic complications and cardiovascular disease in people with and without diabetes. As a practical focus, skin autofluorescence (SAF) is examined as an attractive approach for estimating AGE burden. The measurement of AGEs may be of significant value to specific individuals and groups, including Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans, as they appear to have higher concentrations of hemoglobin A (HbA) than would be predicted by other metrics of mean glycemia.

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Article Synopsis
  • High potassium intake may reduce the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), although its effects are not fully understood.
  • A study using data from the UK Biobank analyzed 317,162 participants without CKD and found that higher potassium levels in urine correlates with lower blood pressure and fewer chronic health issues.
  • Results indicated that higher potassium intake and urinary excretion are linked to a lower likelihood of incident CKD over an average follow-up of nearly 12 years.
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There is rising interest globally with respect to the health implications of vegetarian or plant-based diets. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that higher consumption of plant-based foods and the nutrients found in vegetarian and plant-based diets are associated with numerous health benefits, including improved blood pressure, glycemic control, lipid levels, body mass index, and acid-base parameters. Furthermore, there has been increasing recognition that vegetarian and plant-based diets may have potential salutary benefits in preventing the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

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Objective: To examine the relationship between thyroid status and incident kidney dysfunction/chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression.

Patients And Methods: We examined incident thyroid status, ascertained by serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels measured from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2018, among 4,152,830 patients from the Optum Labs Data Warehouse, containing deidentified retrospective administrative claims data from a large national health insurance plan and electronic health record data from a nationwide network of provider groups. Associations of thyroid status, categorized as hypothyroidism, euthyroidism, or hyperthyroidism (TSH levels >5.

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Objective: Hypoglycemia is a frequent occurrence in chronic kidney disease patients due to alterations in glucose and insulin metabolism. However, there are sparse data examining the predictors and clinical implications of hypoglycemia including mortality risk among incident hemodialysis patients.

Design And Methods: Among 58,304 incident hemodialysis patients receiving care from a large national dialysis organization over 2007-2011, we examined clinical characteristics associated with risk of hypoglycemia, defined as a blood glucose concentration <70 mg/dL, in the first year of dialysis using expanded case-mix + laboratory logistic regression models.

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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its downstream complications (i.e. cardiovascular) are a major source of morbidity worldwide.

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Article Synopsis
  • Oral iron replacement therapy (IRT) was studied to see its effects on end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) among US veterans.
  • The study involved nearly 50,000 patients, revealing that oral IRT did not significantly impact ESKD risk but was linked to a higher overall mortality rate.
  • Notably, oral IRT appeared to lower mortality in patients with anemia, suggesting the need for further evaluation of its risks and benefits in individuals without anemia, iron deficiency, or congestive heart failure.
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