Impact of variables on recovery time in patients undergoing hemodialysis: an international survey.

Background: Dialysis recovery time (DRT) refers to the period during which fatigue and weakness subside following hemodialysis treatment, allowing patients to resume their daily routines. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing DRT in hemodialysis patients in Turkey and Portugal, where the prevalence of chronic kidney disease is notably high.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a private dialysis center in Turkey and three dialysis centers in Portugal.

Comparison of Caudal Block and Sacral Erector Spina Block for Postoperative Analgesia following Pediatric Circumcision: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Caudal block (CB) and erector spina plane block (ESPB) have been shown to provide effective postoperative analgesia following circumcision. Our aim was to compare the analgesic efficacy of sacral ESPB and CB, as well as the time to first analgesic requirement and postoperative complications.

Methods: Patients aged 1-7 years in the ASA I-II group, who were scheduled for circumcision, were included in the study.

Effect of the arterial needle bevel position on puncture pain and postremoval bleeding time in hemodialysis patients: A self-controlled, single-blind study.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effect of the bevel orientation (facing upwards or downwards towards the skin) of the needle inserted into the arterial limb of the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) on puncture pain and postremoval bleeding time.

Methods: This study, using a single-blind crossover design, was conducted on 35 maintenance hemodialysis patients who had been dialyzed for at least 6 months and in whom blood access was via an AVF. AVF cannulation was performed with the needle bevel pointing upward in the first six sessions and the needle bevel pointing downwards (towards the skin) in the subsequent six sessions.

Effects of Long-term Administration of Inhaled Lavender During Hemodialysis on Patients' Invasive Pain, Anxiety, and Comfort During Cannulation: A Single-blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Context: Although a number of studies have shown that lavender administered via inhalation can decrease the invasive pain and anxiety experienced by hemodialysis (HD) patients during cannulation, the evaluation has mostly been on the short-term effectiveness of lavender oil. Also, no study has evaluated the effects of lavender on comfort level.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the long-term effectiveness of lavender oil, when administered via an inhaler during HD sessions, on a patient's experience of invasive pain, anxiety, and comfort during access to the fistula.

The association of profilin-1 levels with survival in chronic kidney disease.

Background: Profilin-1 is a ubiquitous, actin-binding protein that plays an important role in the regulation of actin polymerization and cytoskeleton remodelling and contributes to vascular dysfunction. We conducted this study to investigate the association of serum profilin-1 levels with fatal and nonfatal CVE in a cohort of patients with stage 1-5 CKD.

Materials And Methods: Serum concentrations of profilin-1 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

IL-33 and ST2 levels in chronic kidney disease: Associations with inflammation, vascular abnormalities, cardiovascular events, and survival.

Objective: Increased inflammation, associated with the increase in chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage, has a very important influence in vascular injury and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the levels of IL-33 and ST2 in the different stages of CKD and to determine their effect on vascular damage and cardiovascular events (CVE).

Methods: This was an observational cohort study in which serum IL-33 and ST2 were obtained from 238 CKD (stages 1-5) patients.

Endostatin in chronic kidney disease: Associations with inflammation, vascular abnormalities, cardiovascular events and survival.

Background And Aims: Endostatin, generated from collagen XVIII, and endorepellin, possess dual activity as modifiers of both angiogenesis and endothelial cell autophagy. Plasma endostatin levels are elevated in a large number of diseases, and may reflect endothelial cell dysfunction. Few data on endostatins are available for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Thyroid function and cardiovascular events in chronic kidney disease patients.

Background And Aims: Abnormalities of thyroid function are commonly seen in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. They are associated with adverse clinical conditions such as atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and abnormal blood pressure variability. We investigated the association between thyroid disorders and endothelial function, assessed by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and cardiovascular events (CVE) in CKD patients.

Osteoprotegerin in Chronic Kidney Disease: Associations with Vascular Damage and Cardiovascular Events.

Vascular injury and dysfunction contribute to cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a soluble member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily that has been linked to atherogenesis and endothelial dysfunction. Elevated circulating OPG levels predict future cardiovascular events (CVE).

Relevance of uric acid and asymmetric dimethylarginine for modeling cardiovascular risk prediction in chronic kidney disease patients.

Background: Both elevated serum uric acid and serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that combined elevation of uric acid and ADMA amplifies the risk of all-cause mortality and/or cardiovascular events (CVE) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: A total of 259 patients with CKD stages 1-5 were followed up in a time-to-event analysis for all-cause mortality and fatal and non-fatal CVE (including death, stroke, and myocardial infarction).

The Relationship Between Plasma Whole Blood Viscosity and Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Plasma levels of estimated whole blood viscosity (eWBV) have been increased by endothelial inflammation. Because there were no consistent data for assessing the eWBV levels for prediction of cardiovascular event (CVE) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We aimed to investigate the relationship between plasma eWBV levels and CVEs in patients with CKD.

Serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin is associated with cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a member of the lipocalin family best known as a novel and early marker of acute kidney injury (AKI). Recent data suggest that NGQueryAL is not only a marker of AKI, but also an important player in the vascular remodeling, atherosclerotic plaque stability and thrombus formation. We conducted this study to investigate the association of serum NGAL levels with fatal and composite (fatal and non-fatal) cardiovascular events (CVE) in a cohort of patients with stage 1-5 CKD.

The role of plasma triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio to predict cardiovascular outcomes in chronic kidney disease.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is substantially increased in subjects with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The Triglycerides (TG) to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio is an indirect measure of insulin resistance and an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk. No study to date has been performed to evaluate whether the TG/HDL-C ratio predicts CVD risk in patients with CKD.

A longitudinal study of inflammation, CKD-mineral bone disorder, and carotid atherosclerosis after renal transplantation.

Background And Objectives: The role of reversibility of nontraditional risk factors, like inflammation and CKD-mineral bone disorder, in the reduction of cardiovascular risk after renal transplantation is still scarcely defined.

Design, Setting, Participants, And Measurements: The longitudinal relationship between C-reactive protein, CKD-mineral bone disorder biomarkers, and intima media thickness was investigated in a series of 178 patients (age=32±10 years) with stage 5 CKD maintained on chronic dialysis who underwent echo-color Doppler studies of the carotid arteries before and after renal transplantation. Smokers and patients with diabetes were excluded from the study.

Ramipril lowers plasma FGF-23 in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Background/aims: Ramipril attenuates renal Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) expression, ameliorates proteinuria and normalizes serum phosphate in the diabetic Zucker rat with progressive renal disease suggesting that the renoprotective effect by this drug may be in part due to a FGF-23-lowering effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition.

Methods: In this nonrandomized study, we tested whether ACE-inhibition reduces circulating FGF-23 in type-2 diabetics with stage-1 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and proteinuria. Intact FGF-23, the eGFR, proteinuria and the endothelium-dependent flow-mediated (FMD) response to ischemia and other parameters were measured at baseline and after 12-weeks of treatment with ramipril (n = 68) or amlodipine (n = 32).

Mitral annular calcification and the serum osteocalcin level in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Objective: To determine the relationships between inflammatory mediators, mitral annular calcification (MAC), and osteocalcin in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Materials And Methods: Echocardiographic data for 60 patients diagnosed as CKD were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were divided into 2 groups; patients with MAC (MAC+ group) and patients without MAC (MAC- group).

Serum sclerostin and adverse outcomes in nondialyzed chronic kidney disease patients.

Background: The chronic kidney disease (CKD)-mineral and bone disorder (MBD) syndrome is an important contributor to the CKD-associated cardiovascular disease and high mortality rates. Sclerostin, a protein synthesized in osteocytes, is a potent downregulator of bone metabolism and a novel candidate for the bone-vascular axis in CKD patients. We tested whether serum sclerostin values are predictive for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events (CVEs) in a CKD population.

Plasma endocan levels associate with inflammation, vascular abnormalities, cardiovascular events, and survival in chronic kidney disease.

Plasma endocan levels are elevated in a large number of diseases, and may reflect endothelial cell dysfunction. There are currently no data on endocan in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, we measured plasma endocan in 251 patients with CKD (stage 1-5) and 60 control individuals.

Endothelial function in patients with familial Mediterranean fever-related amyloidosis and association with cardiovascular events.

Objectives: Secondary amyloidosis is the most important complication of FMF and endothelial function is more severely impaired. Elevated asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA) may mediate the excess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk of this group. We aimed to compare endothelial function characteristics, including ADMA, in patients with FMF-related amyloidosis and primary glomerulopathies and to define risk factors for a CVD event.

Monocyte count/HDL cholesterol ratio and cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background And Aim: Previous studies showed that renal dysfunction was associated with both a reduction in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration and increased circulating monocyte count. We aimed to investigate the effect of circulating monocyte to serum HDL cholesterol ratio (M/H ratio) on fatal and composite cardiovascular events, in an observational cohort study of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Materials And Methods: A total of 340 subjects with stage 1-5 CKD were followed for a mean follow-up period of 33 (range 2-44) months and assessed for fatal and nonfatal CV events.

The relationship between IL-10 levels and cardiovascular events in patients with CKD.

Background And Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with CKD. IL-10 is considered an antiatherosclerotic cytokine. However, previous studies have failed to observe an association between IL-10 and cardiovascular disease in CKD.

Soluble TWEAK plasma levels increase after renal transplantation and associate with the improvement of endothelial function.

Background: Soluble TWEAK (sTWEAK) and asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA) concentrations have been associated with endothelial function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We tested the hypothesis that the improvement in endothelial function observed after renal transplantation is directly linked to the normalization of both sTWEAK and ADMA.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and seventy-five kidney transplant recipients (71% men; 31·6 ± 9·4 years) were studied immediately before and on the 180th day post-transplantation.

Red cell distribution width is independently related to endothelial dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a measure of erythrocyte size variability and has been shown as an independent predictor of mortality. The aim of this article was to evaluate the association of RDW with endothelial dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: Patients with 1 to 5 stages of CKD were included in the study.

Longitudinal analysis of vascular function and biomarkers of metabolic bone disorders before and after renal transplantation.

Background/aims: The role of chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) reversibility in the amelioration of vascular function and in the reduction of the risk for cardiovascular events after renal transplantation is still unknown.

Methods: We investigated the longitudinal relationship between the main biomarkers of CKD-MBD and the evolution of vascular function [flow-mediated dilatation (FMD)] after transplantation in a series of 161 patients with kidney failure maintained on chronic dialysis (5D-CKD).

Results: Before transplantation, FMD in patients was markedly lower (-40%, p < 0.

Relationship between serum magnesium levels and cardiovascular events in chronic kidney disease patients.

Background: Magnesium is an essential ion for all living cells because over 300 enzymes require the presence of magnesium for their catalytic action. To date, no group has evaluated magnesium as a cardiovascular risk factor in chronic kidney disease (CKD) subjects, in which closely interrelated factors and potential confounders such as endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance (the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index) and inflammation (expressed as serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels) were also considered.

Methods: Between March 2006 and December 2010, 283 CKD patients were followed up for time-to-event analysis until the occurrence of fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events.