A retrospective, longitudinal study estimating the association between interdialytic weight gain and cardiovascular events and death in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Greater interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) is associated with risk of all-cause mortality and hospitalization. Dialysis patients are also at greater risk of cardiovascular (CV) events than patients without kidney disease. This retrospective study examined the potential association between IDWG and specific types of CV events.

Intradialytic hypotension and risk of cardiovascular disease.

Background And Objectives: Patients undergoing hemodialysis have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease-related morbidity and mortality compared with the general population. Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is estimated to occur during 20%-30% of hemodialysis sessions. To date, no large studies have examined whether IDH is associated with cardiovascular outcomes.

Cost and burden of gastroesophageal reflux disease among patients with persistent symptoms despite proton pump inhibitor therapy: an observational study in France.

Background: Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disorder that negatively impacts health-related quality of life (HRQL) and work productivity. Many patients have only a partial response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy and continue to experience GERD symptoms despite optimized treatment. This observational study aimed to provide information on symptoms, HRQL, resource usage, costs and treatment pathways associated with partial response to PPI therapy in French patients with GERD.

Partial response to proton pump inhibitor therapy for GERD: observational study of patient characteristics, burden of disease, and costs in the USA.

Background: Disease burden and associated costs are not well understood among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who have persistent symptoms despite optimized proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate disease burden and costs of GERD in partial responders to PPI therapy.

Methods: The Partial Response to PPI treatment: the Cost to Society and the Burden to the Patient in the US (REMAIN US) study was a 12-month, multicenter, noninterventional, observational study of 552 partial PPI responders in the USA.

Burden of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in patients with persistent and intense symptoms despite proton pump inhibitor therapy: A post hoc analysis of the 2007 national health and wellness survey.

Background And Objective: Research on the negative impact of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) on the health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) and resource utilization of patients with persistent and intense GORD symptoms despite proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy is lacking. The aim of this study was to describe the population of patients with GORD with persistent moderate-to-severe symptoms despite ongoing PPI therapy, and to compare their HR-QOL and healthcare resource use with patients with low GORD symptom load during ongoing PPI therapy.

Methods: In this post hoc analysis of the 2007 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), PPI-compliant (≥22 days with PPI use in the past month) European (France, Germany and the UK) and US respondents with physician-diagnosed GORD were stratified into those with persistent and intense GORD symptoms, those with low symptom load, or an intermediate group.

On future non-medical costs in economic evaluations.

Economic evaluation in health care is still an evolving discipline. One of the current controversies in cost-effectiveness analysis regards the inclusion or exclusion of future non-medical costs (i.e.

Validity of a Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire for patients with symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (WPAI-GERD)--results from a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To validate a Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire (WPAI-GERD) developed to measure lost productivity due to symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Methods And Data: The WPAI-GERD was administered along with two quality-of-life questionnaires, Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia (QOLRAD) and Short Form 36 (SF-36), to a Swedish working population (N = 136) visiting a general practitioner for symptoms attributed to GERD. Correlation coefficients were calculated between each productivity variable derived from the WPAI-GERD and symptom severity, symptom frequency, quality of life dimensions, age, and gender.