Publications by authors named "Remy J H Martens"

Background: Interest in prediction models, including machine learning (ML) models, based on laboratory data has increased tremendously. Uncertainty in laboratory measurements and predictions based on such data are inherently intertwined. This study developed a framework for assessing the impact of biological and analytical variation on the prediction uncertainty of categorical prediction models.

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Background: Diagnosing concomitant pulmonary embolism (PE) in COVID-19 patients remains challenging. As such, PE may be overlooked. We compared the diagnostic yield of systematic PE-screening based on the YEARS-algorithm to PE-screening based on clinical gestalt in emergency department (ED) patients with COVID-19.

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Objectives: Identifying patients with a possible SARS-CoV-2 infection in the emergency department (ED) is challenging. Symptoms differ, incidence rates vary and test capacity may be limited. As PCR-testing all ED patients is neither feasible nor effective in most centres, a rapid, objective, low-cost early warning score to triage ED patients for a possible infection is developed.

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Objectives: COVID-19 is an ongoing global pandemic. There is an urgent need for identification and understanding of clinical and laboratory parameters related to progression towards a severe and fatal form of this illness, often preceded by a so-called cytokine-storm syndrome (CSS). Therefore, we explored the hemocytometric characteristics of COVID-19 patients in relation to the deteriorating clinical condition CSS, using the Sysmex XN-10 hematology analyzer.

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Background: It is a matter of debate whether sodium and potassium intake are associated with heart disease. Further, the mechanisms underlying associations of sodium and potassium intake with cardiac events, if any, are not fully understood.

Objectives: We examined cross-sectional associations of 24-h urinary sodium excretion (UNaE) and potassium excretion (UKE), as estimates of their intakes, with high-sensitivity cardiac troponins T (hs-cTnT) and I (hs-cTnI), and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), which are markers of cardiomyocyte injury and cardiac dysfunction.

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Introduction: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) strongly associates with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This risk is not completely mitigated by renal replacement therapy. Endothelial dysfunction (ED) and low-grade inflammation (LGI) may contribute to the increased CVD risk.

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Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and dicarbonyls, major precursors of AGEs, may contribute to the pathophysiology of CVD in ESRD. However, detailed data on the courses of AGEs and dicarbonyls during the transition of ESRD patients to renal replacement therapy are lacking.

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Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) related mortality and morbidity are high in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The pathophysiology of CVD in ESRD may involve non-traditional CVD risk factors, such as accumulation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), dicarbonyls, endothelial dysfunction (ED) and low-grade inflammation (LGI). However, detailed data on the relation of AGEs and dicarbonyls with ED and LGI in ESRD are limited.

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Background: Chronic kidney disease, which is defined as having a reduced kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)) and/or signs of kidney damage (albuminuria), is highly prevalent in Western society and is associated with adverse health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease. This warrants a search for risk factors of lower eGFR and higher albuminuria. Physical activity and sedentary behavior may be such risk factors.

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Background/aims: Prevalent dialysis patients have low scores of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) which are associated with increased risk of hospitalization and mortality. Also in CKD-5 non-dialysis patients, HRQOL scores seem to be lower as compared with the general population. This study firstly aimed to compare HRQOL between CKD-5 non-dialysis and prevalent dialysis patients in a cross-sectional analysis and to assess longitudinal changes over 1 year after the dialysis initiation.

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Objective: Albuminuria is thought to be a biomarker of microvascular and macrovascular endothelial dysfunction. However, direct evidence for an association of microvascular endothelial dysfunction with albuminuria is limited. In addition, experimental data suggest a stronger association of microvascular endothelial dysfunction with albuminuria in individuals with than in those without diabetes.

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Microvascular dysfunction (MVD) is considered a crucial pathway in the development and progression of cardiometabolic and renal disease and is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. MVD often coexists with or even precedes macrovascular disease, possibly due to shared mechanisms of vascular damage, such as inflammatory processes and oxidative stress. One of the first events in MVD is endothelial dysfunction.

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Interest in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I(hs-cTnI) and T(hs-cTnT) has expanded from acute cardiac care to cardiovascular disease(CVD) risk stratification. Whether hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT are interchangeable in the ambulant setting is largely unexplored. Cardiac injury is a mechanism that may underlie the associations between troponin levels and mortality in the general population.

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Objectives: Physical inactivity in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients is associated with increased mortality, and might be related to abnormalities in body composition (BC) and physical performance. It is uncertain to what extent starting dialysis influences the effects of ESRD on physical activity (PA). This study aimed to compare PA and physical performance between stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD-5) non-dialysis and dialysis patients, and healthy controls, to assess alterations in PA during the transition from CKD-5 non-dialysis to dialysis, and to relate PA to BC.

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Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with an increased cardiovascular disease mortality risk. It is, however, less clear at what point in the course from normal kidney function to CKD the association with cardiovascular disease appears. Studying the associations of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria with biomarkers of (subclinical) cardiac injury in a population without substantial CKD may clarify this issue.

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Background: Depression is common in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, data on the association of albuminuria, which together with reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) defines CKD, with depression are scarce and conflicting. In addition, it is not clear when in the course from normal kidney function to CKD the association with depression appears.

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Background: Reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria have been associated with worse cognitive performance. However, few studies have examined whether these associations are confined to older individuals or may be extended to the middle-aged population.

Study Design: Cross-sectional analyses of a prospective population-based cohort study.

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Albuminuria may be a biomarker of generalized (i.e., microvascular and macrovascular) endothelial dysfunction.

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Objectives: The assessment of body composition (BC) in dialysis patients is of clinical importance given its role in the diagnosis of malnutrition and sarcopenia. Bioimpedance techniques routinely express BC as a 2-compartment (2-C) model distinguishing fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM), which may be influenced by the hydration of adipose tissue and fluid overload (OH). Recently, the BC monitor was introduced which applies a 3-compartment (3-C) model, distinguishing OH, adipose tissue mass, and lean tissue mass.

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