Abstract
Background
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and death, but also decline in kidney function, quality of life (QOL), and mental and physical well-being. This study describes the multidimensional trajectories of CKD using clinical events, kidney function, and patient-reported outcome measures. We hypothesized that more advanced CKD stages would associate with more rapid decline in each outcome.
Methods
Among 3,939 participants enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study, we evaluated multidimensional disease trajectories by G- and A-stages of enrollment eGFR and albuminuria, respectively. These trajectories included clinical events (ESKD, CVD, heart failure, death), eGFR decline, and patient-reported outcome measures (kidney disease QOL [KDQOL] burden, effects, and symptoms questionnaires, as well as the short-form-12 mental and physical composite).We also evaluated a group-based multi-trajectory model to group participants on the basis of longitudinal patient-reported outcome measures and compared group assignments by enrollment G- and A-stage.
Results
Mean participant age was 58 years, 45% were women, mean baseline eGFR was 44 mL/min/1.73 m2, and median urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio was 52 mg/g. The incidence of all clinical events was greater and eGFR decline was faster with more advanced G- and A-stages. While baseline KDQOL and physical component measures were lower with more advanced G- and A-stage of CKD; changes in patient-reported outcome measures were inconsistently related to the baseline CKD stage. Groups formed on patient-reported outcome measure trajectories were fairly distinct from existing CKD staging (observed agreement, 60.6%) but also were associated with risk of ESKD, CVD, heart failure, and death.
Conclusions
More advanced baseline CKD stage was associated with higher risk of clinical events and faster eGFR decline, but was only weakly related to changes in patient-reported metrics over time.