Smoking is a risk factor for progression of CKD.

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Background: Headache is one of the most frequent symptoms that occur during hemodialysis sessions. Despite the high prevalence of dialysis headache, it has been little studied. Objective: To evaluate the characteristics, impact and factors associated with dialysis headache. The behavior of the cerebral vasculature was also compared between patients with and without dialysis headache. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Consecutive patients who underwent hemodialysis were assessed through a semi-structured questionnaire, the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography was performed in the first and fourth hours of hemodialysis. Results: A total of 100 patients were included; 49 of them had dialysis headache. Women (OR=5.04; 95%CI 1.95-13.04), younger individuals (OR=1.05; 95%CI 1.01-1.08), individuals with higher schooling levels (OR=3.86; 95%CI 1.4-10.7) and individuals who had spent longer times on dialysis programs (OR=0.99; 95%CI 0.98-1) had more dialysis headache (logistic regression). Individuals with dialysis headache had worse quality of life in the domains of pain and general state of health (56.9 versus 76.4, p=0.01; 49.7 versus 60.2, p=0.03, respectively). Dialysis headache was associated with significantly greater impact on life (OR=24.4; 95%CI 2.6-226.6; logistic regression). The pulsatility index (transcranial Doppler ultrasonography) was lower among patients with dialysis headache than among those without them. Conclusions: Dialysis headaches occur frequently and are associated with worse quality of life and patterns of cerebral vasodilatation.

Background: Impaired heart rate (HR) recovery after exercise testing is considered a predictor of cardiovascular mortality as it reflects vagus nerve dysfunction. Objective: To assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and HR recovery after exercise. Methods: We analyzed the records of 2443 patients of both sexes, aged between 20 and 59 years, in sinus rhythm, not using negative chronotropic agents and with no myocardial ischemic response to exercise testing carried out at a specialist clinic, between 2005 and 2011. BMI was categorized as normal (18.5---<25 kg/m 2 ), overweight (25---≤30 kg/m 2 ) or obese (>30 kg/m 2 ). The different BMI groups were compared in terms of HR recovery after exercise, which was calculated as the difference between maximum HR during exercise and in the first minute of recovery. Recovery was considered impaired when the difference was ≤12 bpm. Results: Eighty-seven (3.6%) patients presented impaired recovery, which was three times more prevalent in the obese group and twice as prevalent in the overweight group compared with the normal group (p<0.001 and p=0.010, respectively). Obese patients presented higher basal HR and lower maximum HR, as well as reduced chronotropic reserve (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, impaired HR recovery was associated with overweight (relative risk [RR]=1.8; p=0.035), obesity (RR=2; p=0.016), number of metabolic equivalents (RR=0.82; p<0.001) and resting HR (RR=1.05; p<0.001). The hazard ratio for hypertension was 2 (p=0.083, NS). Conclusion: Impaired HR recovery was associated with higher BMI, demonstrating that obese individuals present vagus nerve dysfunction. Relação entre a frequência cardíaca de recuperação após teste ergométrico e índice de massa corpórea ResumoFundamento: Declínio atenuado da frequência cardíaca após teste ergométrico é considerado preditor de mortalidade cardiovascular, por refletir disfunção autonômica vagal. Objetivo: Avaliar a relação entre índice de massa corpórea (IMC) e recuperação da frequência cardíaca após teste ergométrico. Métodos: Foram incluídos registros de 2.443 pacientes de ambos os sexos, entre 20-59 anos, em ritmo sinusal, sem uso de cronotrópicos negativos e sem resposta isquêmica miocárdica ao teste ergométrico realizado em clínica especializada, entre 2005-2011. O IMC foi categorizado como: normal (18,5 kg/m 2 30 kg/m 2 ). A recuperação da frequência cardíaca após esforço, obtida pela diferença entre a máxima no esforço e no 1. • minuto da recuperação, foi comparada entre grupos de IMC. Foi considerada atenuada quando ≤12 bpm. Resultados: Oitenta e sete (3,6%) pacientes registraram recuperação atenuada, sendo três vezes maior no grupo de obesos e duas vezes no de sobrepeso, quando comparados ao grupo adequado (p<0,001, p=0,010, respectivamente). Obesos apresentaram maior frequência cardíaca basal e menor máxima, além de menor reserva cronotrópica (p<0,001). Na análise multivariada, identificou-se influência dessa atenuação po...

Objective Apolipoprotein L1 gene (APOL1) G1 and G2 renal risk alleles (RRA) are associated with endstage renal disease in blacks with lupus nephritis (LN). The present study determined frequencies of APOL1 RRA in nonwhite Brazilian patients with LN and controls to assess association with renal outcomes. MethodsAPOL1 RRA were genotyped in 222 healthy blood donors (controls) and 201 cases with LN from 3 outpatient clinics. Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the G1 (rs73885319 and rs60910145) and an indel for the G2 (rs71785313) variant were genotyped. Results The frequency of APOL1 RRA in nonwhite Brazilian LN cases did not differ significantly from healthy controls, and few participants had 2 RRA. In the sample, 84.6% of LN cases and 84.2% of controls had 0 RRA, 13.4% and 15.3% had 1 RRA, and 2.0% and 0.4% had 2 RRA, respectively. LN cases with ≥ 1 APOL1 RRA had similar baseline characteristics and renal responses to treatment, yet faced higher risk for progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) to an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 ml/min/1.73 m2 compared to those with 0 RRA (11.2% with 0, 29.6% with 1; 50% with 2 RRA, p = 0.005). Although glomerular lesions and activity scores on initial kidney biopsy did not differ significantly between individuals based on APOL1 genotype, chronicity scores, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis were more severe in those with ≥ 1 RRA (p = 0.011, p = 0.002, p = 0.018, respectively). Conclusion Although initial kidney lesions and treatment responses were similar, a single APOL1 RRA in nonwhite Brazilians with LN was associated with increased risk of advanced CKD and possibly more tubulointerstitial damage.