Publications by authors named "Paul Cockwell"

Background: Cognitive impairment is prevalent in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but its effects on health outcomes remain unclear. While cognitive impairment can affect self-management, its role in CKD has been insufficiently explored. This systematic review aimed to examine the association between cognitive impairment and health outcomes or self-management ability among persons with CKD.

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Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) carries a variable risk for multiple adverse outcomes, highlighting the need for a personalised approach. This study evaluated several novel biomarkers linked to key disease mechanisms to predict the risk of kidney failure (first event of eGFR <15 ml/min/1.73m2 or kidney replacement therapy), all-cause mortality, and a composite of both.

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Background: Increasingly, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used to monitor chronic kidney disease (CKD) symptoms in routine clinical practice. However, such symptom measurement currently requires completion of multiple, often lengthy, PROMs, which may lead to questionnaire fatigue, lower levels of completion, and missing data. Moreover, many CKD-specific PROMs lack evidence of important measurement properties and few were developed using contemporary psychometric methods.

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This guideline provides consensus opinion on the investigations required for people presenting with suspected monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance to both nephrology and haematology physicians. The guideline discusses the principles of treating a patient with MGRS and provides recommendations for both supportive management and haematological therapy. It details the recommended on-going monitoring required for both specialty areas.

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Periodontitis is a ubiquitous chronic inflammatory disease affecting the supporting tissues of the teeth and is a major cause of multiple tooth loss. Despite being preventable, periodontitis and dental caries are responsible for more years lost to disability than any other human condition. The most severe form of periodontitis affects 1 billion individuals, and its prevalence is increasing globally.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluates risks associated with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) across different primary renal diseases using data from a UK cohort of nearly 3,000 adults.
  • It found that over a median follow-up of about 49 months, many participants experienced kidney failure or death, with significant differences in risk based on the primary renal diagnosis (PRD), even after adjusting for factors like age and blood pressure.
  • The research highlights that while eGFR is a reliable predictor of kidney outcomes, the effectiveness of albuminuria (uACR) as a predictive marker varies greatly depending on the type of kidney disease, suggesting that personalized treatment strategies are essential in CKD management.
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Background: Estimation of glomerular filtration rate using equations based on creatinine is widely used to manage chronic kidney disease. In the UK, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration creatinine equation is recommended. Other published equations using cystatin C, an alternative marker of kidney function, have not gained widespread clinical acceptance.

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Fibrosis, driven by fibroblast activities, is an important contributor to morbidity and mortality in most chronic diseases. Endotrophin, a signaling molecule derived from processing of type VI collagen by highly activated fibroblasts, is involved in fibrotic tissue remodeling. Circulating levels of endotrophin have been associated with an increased risk of mortality in multiple chronic diseases.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines factors affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), focusing on potentially modifiable aspects that could be targeted for improvement.
  • Researchers analyzed data from nearly 3000 CKD patients, collecting diverse information and using specific measures to assess HRQoL, finding that a significant percentage reported issues in various life dimensions.
  • Results indicated that poorer HRQoL was strongly associated with obesity, depression, anxiety, medication burden, sarcopenia, low hemoglobin levels, and pain, highlighting areas for potential intervention.
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In the STOP-ACEi trial, the outcome was similar whether or not renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi) were discontinued. We now investigate whether the effect of withdrawing angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) differed. In this open label trial patients with estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) under 30ml/min per 1.

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Article Synopsis
  • Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) show potential as a new therapy for diabetic kidney disease (DKD), but clinical trials have faced challenges.
  • In a phase 1b/2a trial involving 16 adults with type 2 diabetes, a low dose of MSCs (ORBCEL-M) was found to be safe and well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events linked to the treatment.
  • Compared to a placebo group, those receiving ORBCEL-M experienced a significantly slower decline in kidney function, suggesting the need for further studies on this therapy.
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Objectives: The use of electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) systems to support the management of patients with chronic kidney disease is increasing. This mixed-methods study aimed to comprehensively identify existing and developing ePRO systems, used in nephrology settings globally, ascertaining key characteristics and factors for successful implementation.

Study Design: ePRO systems and developers were identified through a scoping review of the literature and contact with field experts.

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Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common but heterogenous and is associated with multiple adverse outcomes. The National Unified Renal Translational Research Enterprise (NURTuRE)-CKD cohort was established to investigate risk factors for clinically important outcomes in persons with CKD referred to secondary care.

Methods: Eligible participants with CKD stages G3-4 or stages G1-2 plus albuminuria >30 mg/mmol were enrolled from 16 nephrology centres in England, Scotland and Wales from 2017 to 2019.

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Creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate equations (eGFRcreatinine) are used to measure excretory kidney function in clinical practice. Despite inter and intra-patient variability, eGFRcreatinine has excellent clinical utility and provides the basis for the classification system for chronic kidney disease (CKD), for kidney function monitoring, treatment interventions and referral pathways. The 4-variable modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) eGFRcreatinine equation was introduced in 2000 and recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2008.

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Background And Objectives: To simulate the cost-effectiveness of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (MSC) therapy compared to sodium/glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) or usual care (UC) in treating patients with Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD).

Design, Setting, Participants, And Measurements: This Markov-chain Monte Carlo model adopted a societal perspective and simulated 10,000 patients with DKD eligible for MSC therapy alongside UC using a lifetime horizon. This cohort was compared with an SGLT2i alongside UC arm and a UC only arm.

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Background: Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors - including angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) - slow the progression of mild or moderate chronic kidney disease. However, the results of some studies have suggested that the discontinuation of RAS inhibitors in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease may increase the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or slow its decline.

Methods: In this multicenter, open-label trial, we randomly assigned patients with advanced and progressive chronic kidney disease (eGFR, <30 ml per minute per 1.

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Considerable research and investment have focused on the use of electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) in nephrology. However, systematic collection of ePROs to inform the care of patients with chronic kidney disease remains sporadic. A change in culture is needed to encourage their wider adoption in clinical practice.

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