Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Cheol Ho Park, Jong Hyun Jhee, Kyeong-Hyeon Chun, Jiwon Seo, Chan Joo Lee, Soo-Hyun Park, Jin-Taek Hwang, Seung Hyeok Han, Shin-Wook Kang, Sungha Park, Tae-Hyun Yoo
Summary: The study examines the association between nocturnal systolic blood pressure (SBP) dipping and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. The research finds that decreased nocturnal SBP decline is associated with adverse kidney outcomes, and especially patients with non-dipping and reverse dipping patterns are at higher risk for CKD progression.
HYPERTENSION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Deja, Piotr Skrzypczyk, Beata Leszczynska, Malgorzata Panczyk-Tomaszewska
Summary: This study found that age, initial proteinuria, nighttime blood pressure, and blood pressure dipping are associated with the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children. Systolic blood pressure dipping may serve as a valuable indicator of CKD progression in children.
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Christine Y. Bakhoum, Ronit Katz, Joshua A. Samuels, Tala Al-Rousan, Susan L. Furth, Joachim H. Ix, Pranav S. Garimella
Summary: The study found that in children with chronic kidney disease, risk factors for blunted blood pressure dipping include Black race, female sex, greater proteinuria, and sodium intake. There was no statistically significant association between blood pressure dipping and left ventricular mass index.
CLINICAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
So Mi J. Cho, Hokyou Lee, Tae-Hyun Yoo, Jong Hyun Jhee, Sungha Park, Hyeon Chang Kim
Summary: The study revealed an association between nocturnal blood pressure dipping pattern with albuminuria and kidney function. Abnormal dipping pattern was linked to decreased kidney function.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Rina Oba, Go Kanzaki, Kotaro Haruhara, Takaya Sasaki, Yusuke Okabayashi, Kentaro Koike, Nobuo Tsuboi, Takashi Yokoo
Summary: This study found that non-dipping pulse rate (PR) is significantly associated with microstructural changes in the kidneys of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and arteriosclerosis. Patients with non-dipping PR were older, had worse kidney function, higher blood pressure, and more proteinuria. This finding is important for understanding the pathological mechanisms in CKD patients.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Konstantinos Manousopoulos, Eleni Koroboki, Gerassimos Barlas, Aikaterini Lykka, Nefeli Tsoutsoura, Konstantina Flessa, Ioannis Kanakakis, Ioannis Paraskevaidis, Nikolaos Zakopoulos, Efstathios Manios
Summary: The study compared the association of ambulatory and home blood pressure variability (BPV) with left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, finding that ambulatory BPV, specifically the 24-hour systolic blood pressure (SBP) time rate variation, was independently associated with LVMI, regardless of average blood pressure values. This suggests that dynamic BPV may be a more significant predictor of LVMI in CKD patients compared to home BPV.
HYPERTENSION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Jun Zhang, Jun Song, Liping Zhou, Wenying Zhou, Jialing Rao, Yuanqing Li, Jianhao Wu, Hui Peng, Tanqi Lou
Summary: Nocturnal systolic blood pressure (SBP) is independently associated with target organ damage (TOD) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with normotension, while nocturnal diastolic blood pressure (DBP) is not correlated with proteinuria. Targeting a nocturnal SBP to less than 114 mmHg or even less than 104 mmHg may help prevent TOD in patients with CKD.
JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
(2021)
Article
Pediatrics
Trevor W. Glenn, Cyd K. Eaton, Kevin J. Psoter, Michelle N. Eakin, Cozumel S. Pruette, Kristin A. Riekert, Tammy M. Brady
Summary: This study compared attended home blood pressure measurements with ambulatory blood pressure monitor readings and found a high level of agreement between the two in identifying abnormal blood pressure. Attended home blood pressure measurements had higher sensitivity and negative predictive value, making it a reasonable alternative when ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is unavailable.
PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Martina Gaggl, Alexandra Repitz, Sonja Riesenhuber, Christof Aigner, Christopher Sliber, Melanie Fraunschiel, Daniel Cejka, Gere Sunder-Plassmann
Summary: The study found that sodium bicarbonate supplementation over 8 weeks did not significantly increase blood pressure measured by 24h-ABPM in CKD patients.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Maria Korogiannou, Marieta Theodorakopoulou, Pantelis Sarafidis, Maria Eleni Alexandrou, Eva Pella, Efstathios Xagas, Antonis Argyris, Athanase Protogerou, Aikaterini Papagianni, Ioannis N. Boletis, Smaragdi Marinaki
Summary: This study compared the ambulatory blood pressure profiles and short-term blood pressure variability between kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients without kidney replacement therapy. The results showed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of ambulatory blood pressure levels, blood pressure trajectories, and blood pressure variability indices.
KIDNEY RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2022)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Maria Korogiannou, Pantelis Sarafidis, Marieta P. Theodorakopoulou, Maria-Eleni Alexandrou, Efstathios Xagas, Ioannis N. Boletis, Smaragdi Marinaki
Summary: ABPM shows higher accuracy in determining hypertension prevalence and blood pressure control in kidney transplant recipients, while office BP has a higher rate of misclassification. These findings call for a broader use of ABPM in kidney transplant recipients.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NEPHROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Christine Y. Bakhoum, Manali Phadke, Yanhong Deng, Joshua A. Samuels, Pranav S. Garimella, Susan L. Furth, F. Perry Wilson, Joachim H. Ix
Summary: This study found no significant association between non-dipping blood pressure and progression to kidney failure or changes in proteinuria in children with chronic kidney disease.
KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Maria Korogiannou, Pantelis Sarafidis, Maria Eleni Alexandrou, Marieta P. Theodorakopoulou, Eva Pella, Efstathios Xagas, Antonis Argyris, Athanase Protogerou, Aikaterini Papagianni, Ioannis N. Boletis, Smaragdi Marinaki
Summary: This study compared the full ambulatory blood pressure profile and short-term blood pressure variability in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) versus hemodialysis (HD) patients. The results showed that KTRs had significantly lower systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse-pressure (PP) levels, and blood pressure variability compared to HD patients during all periods studied.
CLINICAL KIDNEY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Rajiv Agarwal, Luis M. Ruilope, Gema Ruiz-Hurtado, Hermann Haller, Roland E. Schmieder, Stefan D. Anker, Gerasimos Filippatos, Bertram Pitt, Peter Rossing, Marc Lambelet, Christina Nowack, Peter Kolkhof, Amer Joseph, George L. Bakris
Summary: Finerenone, a selective nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, was found to reduce 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime systolic blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes.
JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Reut Pagi, Ora Yadin, Katherine Wesseling-Perry, Keith Norris, Marciana Lee Laster
Summary: Black children with CKD have higher blood pressure and higher rates of abnormal dipping during sleep compared to white children. Further studies are needed to understand the reasons behind these differences and the implications for clinical practice.
PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Tawanda Chivese, Jennifer Hirst, Joshua T. Matizanadzo, Michael Custodio, Andrew Farmer, Shane Norris, Naomi Levitt
Summary: The study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of HbA1c in screening for type 2 diabetes in Africa, showing that at certain cut-off points, HbA1c may lead to some degree of misdiagnosis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Veronique Nicolaou, Larske Soepnel, Kenneth Huddle, Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch, Naomi S. Levitt, Shane A. Norris
Summary: Women with a history of hyperglycaemia first detected during pregnancy (HFDP) have a higher risk of cardiometabolic conditions within 6 years post-partum in an urban South African setting.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jan R. Boehnke, Rusham Zahra Rana, Jamie J. Kirkham, Louise Rose, Gina Agarwal, Corrado Barbui, Alyssa Chase-Vilchez, Rachel Churchill, Oscar Flores-Flores, John R. Hurst, Naomi Levitt, Josefien van Olmen, Marianna Purgato, Kamran Siddiqi, Eleonora Uphoff, Rajesh Vedanthan, Judy Wright, Kath Wright, Gerardo A. Zavala, Najma Siddiqi
Summary: This article aims to develop core outcome sets (COSs) for interventions to prevent and treat multimorbidity in low-/middle-income countries (LMICs) through systematic reviews, Delphi surveys, and consensus meetings. The study has received approval for ethics and dissemination, and the findings will be disseminated through publications and conferences.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Ogechukwu Augustina Asogwa, Daniel Boateng, Anna Marza-Florensa, Sanne Peters, Naomi Levitt, Josefien van Olmen, Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch
Summary: Multimorbidity of non-communicable diseases is a significant issue in low/middle-income countries. It is more prevalent among the elderly, women, higher-income individuals, and urban residents. Longitudinal studies are needed to understand the true trends, determinants, and changes in disease patterns over time.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kufre Okop, Peter Delobelle, Estelle Victoria Lambert, Hailemichael Getachew, Rawleigh Howe, Kiya Kedir, Jean Berchmans Niyibizi, Charlotte Bavuma, Stephen Kasenda, Amelia C. Crampin, Abby C. King, Thandi Puoane, Naomi S. Levitt
Summary: This study aims to implement and evaluate a community health worker-led cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk screening program in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on referral linkages within local primary care systems. The study will recruit and train community health workers and lay health worker volunteers to screen and identify individuals at high risk of CVD, provide referral services, and follow-up at community health clinics. By using a participatory research approach and mobile phone-based screening, referral, and follow-up, this study will provide evidence on the effectiveness of CVD risk screening and the potential for scaling up in the region.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Katherine Murphy, Jamie Berk, Lorrein Muhwava-Mbabala, Sharmilah Booley, Janetta Harbron, Lisa Ware, Shane Norris, Christina Zarowsky, Estelle V. Lambert, Naomi S. Levitt
Summary: The IINDIAGO study aims to develop and evaluate an intervention for disadvantaged GDM women in South Africa. The intervention includes providing information and psychosocial support, as well as offering convenient post-partum screening and counseling. The intervention is designed based on the Behaviour Change Wheel and COM-B model, and involves training peer counselors and a diabetes nurse in patient-centered, motivational counseling methods.
Article
Neurosciences
Ezekiel Musa, Esteban Salazar-Petres, Afolake Arowolo, Naomi Levitt, Mushi Matjila, Amanda N. Sferruzzi-Perri
Summary: This study examined the effects of maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on placental morphology, hormone and cytokine expression, and circulating inflammatory cytokine concentrations. The results showed that both obesity and GDM had specific impacts on placental morphometry and endocrine and inflammatory states, which may be related to pregnancy outcomes.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kirsten Ailsa Smith, Myrna Van Pinxteren, Nonzuzo Mbokazi, Buyelwa Majikela-Dlangamandla, Peter Delobelle, Naomi Levitt, Nuala McGrath
Summary: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a growing concern in South Africa, and self-management of the disease is challenging for many individuals. This study aimed to develop a couples-focused intervention to improve T2D self-management by involving partners of patients.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Brian L. Rayner, Erika S. W. Jones, Bianca Davidson, Nicola Wearne
Summary: Africa, particularly sub-Sharan Africa, is facing major challenges in tackling chronic kidney disease (CKD), as its prevalence is increasing due to hypertension, diabetes, and HIV, as well as the impact of APOL1 variants on CKD susceptibility. Reliable epidemiological data on CKD prevalence is urgently needed for health planning, and there are deficiencies in current equations that underestimate CKD prevalence in Africa. SGLT2 inhibitors have shown promise in treating CKD, but their affordability, availability, and relevance to the African population are not yet established.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Myrna van Pinxteren, Nonzuzo Mbokazi, Katherine Murphy, Frances S. S. Mair, Carl May, Naomi Levitt
Summary: People with multimorbidity in South Africa, especially in low-income settings, experience precariousness due to continuous economic uncertainty, which impacts their capacity to manage their illnesses. This study highlights the multi-faceted nature of precariousness, including financial and housing insecurity, dangerous living circumstances, and exposure to violence. Understanding the treatment burden and capacity of patients in low-income countries is crucial for improving self-management and providing comprehensive care.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Tatum Aronson, Joel Dave, Tasleem Ras
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of emergency intervention on clinical outcomes for high-risk diabetes patients with COVID-19. The intervention improved glucose control and reduced the need for oxygen, antibiotics, and steroids. It also decreased the incidence of acute kidney injury.
SOUTH AFRICAN FAMILY PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Myrna van Pinxteren, Peter Delobelle, Naomi Levitt, Kirsten Smith, Buyelwa Majikela-Dlangamandla, Nuala Mcgrath
Summary: This study explored the impact of diabetes on sexual relationships among men and women living with type 2 diabetes. The findings revealed that both individuals with diabetes and their partners experienced changes in their sexual relationships, but lacked effective communication, leading to increased dissatisfaction and anxiety. The study recommends the provision of more informational support and strengthening communication within couples to improve relationships, quality of life, and indirectly enhance self-management of diabetes.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nonzuzo Mbokazi, Myrna Van Pinxteren, Katherine Murphy, Frances S. Mair, Carl R. May, Naomi S. Levitt
Summary: In economically precarious areas of South Africa, Ubuntu, traditional values, and social networks play a crucial mediating role in helping people with HIV/NCD multimorbidity to self-manage their conditions. Despite facing economic hardship, patients actively cope with their workload by utilizing family relations and external networks, leading to better management of chronic diseases.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jennifer Manne-Goehler, Nicholas Rahim, Eva van Empel, Rebecca de Vlieg, Grace Chamberlin, Amanda Ihama, Alison Castle, Smart Mabweazara, Willem D. F. Venter, Nomathemba Chandiwana, Naomi S. Levitt, Mark Siedner
Summary: Metabolic disease is increasing in people with HIV in South Africa, but little is known about their self-perceptions of body size, health, and nutritional behavior. This study found that HIV-positive individuals had different self-perceptions of their body size and health compared to their actual BMI. Furthermore, the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with increased obesity risk in HIV-positive individuals.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo, Diego Gomez-Arbelaez, Daniel Martinez-Bello, Marc Evans M. Abat, Khalid F. Alhabib, Alvaro Avezum, Olga Barbarash, Jephat Chifamba, Maria L. Diaz, Sadi Gulec, Noorhassim Ismail, Romaina Iqbal, Roya Kelishadi, Rasha Khatib, Fernando Lanas, Naomi S. Levitt, Yang Li, Viswanathan Mohan, Prem K. Mony, Paul Poirier, Annika Rosengren, Biju Soman, Chuangshi Wang, Yang Wang, Karen Yeates, Rita Yusuf, Afzalhussein Yusufali, Katarzyna Zatonska, Sumathy Rangarajan, Salim Yusuf
Summary: The TyG index is associated with cardiovascular diseases and mortality, especially in Asia. It is significantly related to the risk of cardiovascular diseases, myocardial infarction, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, indicating that insulin resistance plays a promoting role in the development of these diseases.
LANCET HEALTHY LONGEVITY
(2023)