Assessment of a serum calcification propensity test for the prediction of all-cause mortality among hemodialysis patients.

Background: Vascular calcification is a major contributor to the high cardiac burden among hemodialysis patients. A novel in vitro T50-test, which determines calcification propensity of human serum, may identify patients at high risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease and mortality. We evaluated whether T50 predicts mortality and hospitalizations among an unselected cohort of hemodialysis patients.

ESHOL study reanalysis: All-cause mortality considered by competing risks and time-dependent covariates for renal transplantation.

Background: The ESHOL study showed that post-dilution online haemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) reduces all-cause mortality versus haemodialysis. However, during the observation period, 355 patients prematurely completed the study and, according to the study design, these patients were censored at the time of premature termination.

Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of patients who discontinued the study.

High-efficiency postdilution online hemodiafiltration reduces all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Retrospective studies suggest that online hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) may reduce the risk of mortality compared with standard hemodialysis in patients with ESRD. We conducted a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial in which we assigned 906 chronic hemodialysis patients either to continue hemodialysis (n=450) or to switch to high-efficiency postdilution OL-HDF (n=456). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and secondary outcomes included cardiovascular mortality, all-cause hospitalization, treatment tolerability, and laboratory data.

Design and patient characteristics of ESHOL study, a Catalonian prospective randomized study.

Background: Retrospective studies showed that online hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) is associated with a risk reduction of mortality over standard hemodialysis (HD) in patients with end-stage renal disease. Until now, no information was available from prospective randomized clinical trials.

Methods: A prospective, randomized, multicenter, open study was designed to be conducted in HD units from Catalonia (Spain).