Carola-Ellen Kleine1,2, Melissa Soohoo1,2,3, Omesh N Ranasinghe1, Christina Park1,2, Maria V Marroquin1,2, Yoshitsugu Obi1, Connie M Rhee1, Hamid Moradi1,2, Csaba P Kovesdy4,5, Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh1,2,3, Elani Streja1,2. 1. Harold Simmons Center for Kidney Disease Research and Epidemiology, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Orange, California, USA. 2. Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center, Long Beach, California, USA. 3. Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA. 4. Division of Nephrology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. 5. Nephrology Section, Memphis VA Medical Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Incident hemodialysis patients have a high mortality risk within the first months after dialysis initiation. Pre-end-stage renal disease (ESRD) factors like anemia management may impact early post-ESRD outcomes. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of pre-ESRD hemoglobin (Hgb) and pre-ESRD Hgb slope on post-ESRD mortality and hospitalization outcomes. METHODS: The study included 31,472 veterans transitioning to ESRD. Using Cox and negative binomial regression models, we evaluated the association of pre-ESRD Hgb and Hgb slope with 12-month post-ESRD all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization rates using 4 levels of hierarchical multivariable adjustment, including erythropoietin use and kidney decline in slope models. RESULTS: The cohort was 2% female, 30% African-American, and on average 68 ± 11 years old. Compared to Hgb 10-< 11 g/dL, both low (< 10 g/dL) and high (≥12 g/dL) levels were associated with higher all-cause mortality after full adjustment (HR 1.25 [95% CI 1.15-1.35] and 1.09 [95% CI 1.02-1.18], respectively). Similarly, Hgb exhibited a U-shaped association with CV mortality, while only lower Hgb was associated with a higher hospitalization rate. Neither an annual pre-ESRD decline in Hgb nor increase was associated with higher post-ESRD mortality risk after adjustment for kidney decline. However, we observed a modest J-shaped association between pre-ESRD Hgb slope and post-ESRD hospitalization rate. CONCLUSIONS: Lower and higher pre-ESRD Hgb levels are associated with a higher risk of early post-ESRD mortality, while there was no association between the pre-ESRD slope and mortality. An increase in pre-ESRD Hgb slope was associated with higher risk of post-ESRD hospitalization. Additional studies aimed at anemia management prior to ESRD transition are warranted.
BACKGROUND: Incident hemodialysis patients have a high mortality risk within the first months after dialysis initiation. Pre-end-stage renal disease (ESRD) factors like anemia management may impact early post-ESRD outcomes. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of pre-ESRD hemoglobin (Hgb) and pre-ESRD Hgb slope on post-ESRD mortality and hospitalization outcomes. METHODS: The study included 31,472 veterans transitioning to ESRD. Using Cox and negative binomial regression models, we evaluated the association of pre-ESRD Hgb and Hgb slope with 12-month post-ESRD all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization rates using 4 levels of hierarchical multivariable adjustment, including erythropoietin use and kidney decline in slope models. RESULTS: The cohort was 2% female, 30% African-American, and on average 68 ± 11 years old. Compared to Hgb 10-< 11 g/dL, both low (< 10 g/dL) and high (≥12 g/dL) levels were associated with higher all-cause mortality after full adjustment (HR 1.25 [95% CI 1.15-1.35] and 1.09 [95% CI 1.02-1.18], respectively). Similarly, Hgb exhibited a U-shaped association with CV mortality, while only lower Hgb was associated with a higher hospitalization rate. Neither an annual pre-ESRD decline in Hgb nor increase was associated with higher post-ESRD mortality risk after adjustment for kidney decline. However, we observed a modest J-shaped association between pre-ESRD Hgb slope and post-ESRD hospitalization rate. CONCLUSIONS: Lower and higher pre-ESRD Hgb levels are associated with a higher risk of early post-ESRD mortality, while there was no association between the pre-ESRD slope and mortality. An increase in pre-ESRD Hgb slope was associated with higher risk of post-ESRD hospitalization. Additional studies aimed at anemia management prior to ESRD transition are warranted.