Clinical Outcomes of Hemodialysis in Brazil (COHEBRA): a Prospective Cohort Study

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by progressive decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), eventually reaching the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). The decrease in GFR is associated with a linear increase in cardiovascular mortality. Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has been well documented in patients with CKD, especially in people with ESRD. The renal ischemia causes both the excessive activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) by increasing renin release, as sympathetic ANS, through the afferent sympathetic nerves. The overactivated RAAS and sympathetic SNA feedback each other, which contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in CKD. Despite the involvement of these systems in the pathogenesis of CVD in CKD, drugs that block the RAAS or sympathetic SNA have shown heterogeneous effects in CVD in this population. A potential explanation is the genetic heterogeneity, such as the polymorphism in the gene for angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE).In addition, the inflammatory process associated with CKD is regarded as central player in the general degenerative changes backing CKD on HD shorter survival, which in many aspects is like accelerated aging. Skeletal muscles are also affected in a pattern like aging sarcopenia, with loss of function and mass. Objectives: to evaluate the impact of ECA gene polymorphism, HRV, body composition, functional capacity, muscle strength, inflammatory factors and other potential predictors on the survival of patients with CKD treated by HD in a single center in southern Brazil. Methodology: Prospective cohort study. The sample will consist of adult patients with CKD on HD longer than 90 days. Sociodemographic and clinical data is collected from clinical records. HRV analysis is performed using a Micromed@ electrocardiogram device® with a recording of the standard deviation of all normal intervals (SDNN), square root of the mean of