Kidney Disease Screening Program in Japan: History, Outcome, and Perspectives

Abstract Background Diabetes is an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), which is associated with increases in mortality and morbidity, as well as a diminished quality of life. Renal involvement in diabetes is common, and since chronic kidney disease (CKD) shares several of the same putative mechanisms as AF, it may contribute to its increased risk in individuals with diabetes. The objective of this study is to identify the relationship between CKD and the rates of newly-diagnosed AF in individuals with diabetes taking part in a screening program using a self-applied wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) patch. Materials and methods The study included 608 individuals with a diagnosis of diabetes among 1738 total actively monitored participants in the prospective mHealth Screening to Prevent Strokes (mSToPS) trial. Participants, without a prior diagnosis of AF, wore an ECG patch for 2 weeks, twice, over a 4-months period and followed clinically through claims data for 1 year. Definitions of CKD included ICD-9 or ICD-10 chronic renal failure diagnostic codes, and the Health Profile Database algorithm. Individuals requiring dialysis were excluded from trial enrollment. Results Ninety-six (15.8%) of study participants with diabetes also had a diagnosis of CKD. Over 12 months of follow-up, 19 new cases of AF were detected among the 608 participants. AF was newly diagnosed in 7.3% of participants with CKD and 2.3% in those without (P < 0.05) over 12 months of follow-up. In a univariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, the risk of incident AF was 3 times higher in individuals with CKD relative to those without CKD: hazard ratios (HR) 3.106 (95% CI 1.2–7.9). After adjusting for the effect of age, sex, and hypertension, the risk of incident AF was still significantly higher in those with CKD: HR 2.886 (95% CI 1.1–7.5). Conclusion Among individuals with diabetes, CKD significantly increases the risk of incident AF. Identification of AF prior to clinical symptoms through active ECG screening could help to improve the clinical outcomes in individuals with CKD and diabetes.

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Early detection of and intervention for two newborns with critical congenital heart disease using a specialized device as part of a screening system

SAGE Open Medical Case Reports ◽

10.1177/2050313x20926041 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 2050313X2092604

Author(s):

René Gómez-Gutiérrez ◽

Héctor Cruz-Camino ◽

Consuelo Cantú-Reyna ◽

Adrián Martínez-Cervantes ◽

Diana Laura Vazquez-Cantu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Congenital Heart Disease ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Early Detection ◽

Pulse Oximetry ◽

Congenital Heart ◽

Screening Program ◽

Disease Screening ◽

Therapeutic Interventions ◽

Critical Congenital Heart Disease ◽

Clinical Method

Screening for critical congenital heart disease is a clinical method used for their early detection using pulse oximetry technology. This, followed by a diagnostic confirmatory protocol, allows timely therapeutic interventions that improve the newborn’s outcome. According to Mexican birth statistics, approximately 18,000–21,000 neonates are born with a form of congenital heart disease each year, of which 25% are estimated to be critical congenital heart disease. We report two cases with an early critical congenital heart disease detection and intervention through an innovative critical congenital heart disease screening program implemented in two Mexican hospitals. They integrated a new automated pulse oximetry data analysis method and a comprehensive follow-up system (Cárdi-k®). Both cases were confirmed by echocardiogram, which served for an intervention in the first week of life, and the patients were discharged in good clinical condition. In addition, to the routine physical assessments, the critical congenital heart disease screening program (which includes echocardiogram for presumptive positive cases) should be implemented in a timely manner.

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