BackgroundMetabolic acidosis is associated with accelerated progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Whether treatment of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate improves kidney and patient survival in CKD is unclear.MethodsWe conducted a randomized (ratio 1:1). open-label, controlled trial (NCT number: NCT01640119. www.clinicaltrials.gov) to determine the effect in patients with CKD stage 3–5 of treatment of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate (SB) on creatinine doubling (primary endpoint), all-cause mortality and time to renal replacement therapy compared to standard care (SC) over 36-months. Parametric, non-parametric tests and survival analyses were used to assess the effect of SB on these outcomes.ResultsA total of 376 and 364 individuals with mean (SD) age 67.8 (14.9) years, creatinine clearance 30 (12) ml/min, and serum bicarbonate 21.5 (2.4) mmol/l were enrolled in SB and SC, respectively. Mean (SD) follow-up was 29.6 (9.8) vs 30.3 (10.7) months in SC and SB. respectively. The mean (SD) daily doses of SB was 1.13 (0.10). 1.12 (0.11). and 1.09 (0.12) mmol/kg*bw/day in the first, second and third year of follow-up, respectively. A total of 87 participants reached the primary endpoint [62 (17.0%) in SC vs 25 (6.6%) in SB, p < 0.001). Similarly, 71 participants [45 (12.3%) in SC and 26 (6.9%) in SB, p = 0.016] started dialysis while 37 participants [25 (6.8%) in SC and 12 (3.1%) in SB, p = 0.004] died. There were no significant effect of SB on blood pressure, total body weight or hospitalizations.ConclusionIn persons with CKD 3–5 without advanced stages of chronic heart failure, treatment of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate is safe and improves kidney and patient survival.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s40620-019-00656-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BackgroundCorrection of metabolic acidosis (MA) with nutritional therapy or bicarbonate administration is widely used in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. However, it is unknown whether these interventions reduce insulin resistance (IR) in diabetic patients with CKD. We sought to evaluate the effect of MA correction on endogenous insulin action in diabetic type 2 (DM2) CKD patients.MethodsA total of 145 CKD subjects (83 men e 62 women) with DM2 treated with oral antidiabetic drugs were included in the study and followed up to 1 year. All patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to either open-label (A) oral bicarbonate to achieve serum bicarbonate levels of 24–28 mmol/L (treatment group) or (B) no treatment (control group). The Homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) index was used to evaluate IR at study inception and conclusion. Parametric and non-parametric tests as well as linear regression were used.ResultsAt baseline no differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between the two groups was observed. Average dose of bicarbonate in the treatment group was 0.7 ± 0.2 mmol/kg. Treated patients showed a better metabolic control as confirmed by lower insulin levels (13.4 ± 5.2 vs 19.9 ± 6.3; for treated and control subjects respectively; p < 0.001), Homa-IR (5.9[5.0-7.0] vs 6.3[5.3–8.2]; p = 0.01) and need for oral antidiabetic drugs. The serum bicarbonate and HOMA-IR relationship was non-linear and the largest HOMA-IR reduction was noted for serum bicarbonate levels between 24 and 28 mmol/l. Adjustment for confounders, suggests that serum bicarbonate rather than treatment drives the effect on HOMA-IR.ConclusionsSerum bicarbonate is related to IR and the largest HOMA-IR reduction is noted for serum bicarbonate between 24 and 28 mmol/l. Treatment with bicarbonate influences IR. However, changes in serum bicarbonate explains the effect of treatment on HOMA index. Future efforts are required to validate these results in diabetic and non-diabetic CKD patients.Trial registrationThe trial was registered at www.clinicaltrial.gov (Use of Bicarbonate in Chronic Renal Insufficiency (UBI) study - NCT01640119)

Current findings suggest that SBPV may be of use for risk stratification in CKD patients.

Dialysis-to-dialysis variability in blood pressure is a predictor of cardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients, and blood pressure variability may be used in managing hypertension and predicting outcomes in dialysis patients.

In dialysis patients β-thalassemia is a cause of resistance to erythropoietin (EPO). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between the amount of circulating anomalous hemoglobin chain and EPO resistance in hemodialysis. Ten hemodialyzed patients with β-thalassemia minor were studied. The mean hemoglobin level was 9.22 ± 0.91 g/dl, the HbA₂ ranging between 5.6 and 6.8%; the weekly EPO dose was 13,500 ± 7,185 IU/week and significantly correlated with HbA₂ (r = 0.965; p = 0.0001). When stratifying patients in two groups according to HbA₂ level (LOW <6%, n = 4; HIGH >6%, n = 6; HbA₂ levels, respectively, 5.7 ± 0.1 and 6.4 ± 0.3 g/dl, p = 0.002), it was evidenced that the need of EPO was 13,200 ± 3,033 IU/week in LOW and 36,167 ± 13,060 IU/week in HIGH (p < 0.001). The EPO Resistance Index in the two groups was 13.4 ± 4.1 IU/kg BW/week/g Hb in LOW and 21.9 ± 10.0 in HIGH (p < 0.05). No differences were evidenced between the two groups regarding age, dialysis, body weight, serum levels of urea nitrogen, creatinine, albumin, C-reactive protein, aluminum, ferritin, transferrin and parathyroid hormone. In conclusion, in patients with β-thalassemia minor on chronic hemodialysis, the amount of anomalous hemoglobin chain directly correlate with EPO dose, strongly indicating the magnitude of resistance to erythropoietin.