The enigma of hypertensive ESRD: Observations on incidence and trends in 18 European, Canadian, and Asian-Pacific populations, 1998 to 2002

BackgroundDespite improved treatment of hypertension and decreasing rates of stroke and coronary heart disease, the reported incidence of hypertensive end-stage renal disease (ESRD) increased during the 1990s. However, bias, particularly from variations in acceptance into ESRD treatment (ascertainment) and diagnosis (classification), has been a major source of error when comparing ESRD incidences or estimating trends.MethodsAge-standardized rates were calculated in persons aged 30 to 44, 45 to 64, and 65 to 74 years for 15 countries or regions (separately for the Europid and non-Europid populations of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), and temporal trends were estimated by means of Poisson regression. For 10 countries or regions, population-based estimates of mean systolic blood pressures and prevalences of hypertension were extracted from published sources.ResultsHypertensive ESRD, comprising ESRD attributed to essential hypertension or renal artery occlusion, was least common in Finland, non-Aboriginal Australians, and non-Polynesian New Zealanders; intermediate in most European and Canadian populations; and most common in Aboriginal Australians and New Zealand Maori and Pacific Island people. Rates correlated with the incidence of all other nondiabetic ESRD, but not with diabetic ESRD or community rates of hypertension. Between 1998 and 2002, hypertensive ESRD did not increase in Northwestern Europe or non-Aboriginal Canadians, although it did so in Australia.ConclusionDespite the likelihood of classification bias, the probability remains of significant variation in incidence of hypertensive ESRD within the group of Europid populations. These between-population differences are not explained by community rates of hypertension or ascertainment bias

Trends in incidence of treated end-stage renal disease, overall and by primary renal disease, in persons aged 20-64 years in Europe, Canada and the Asia-Pacific region, 1998-2002

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comAims: To determine if rates of diabetic and non-diabetic end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which had been rising in young and middle-aged adults in all populations up to the mid-1990s, had started to decline, and if so, whether improvement had occurred in respect of each of the principal primary renal diseases causing ESRD. Methods: Poisson regression of age- and sex-standardized incidence of ESRD for persons aged 20–64 years in 18 populations from Europe, Canada and the Asia-Pacific region, for 1998–2002. Results: In persons from 12 European descent (Europid) populations combined, there was a small downward trend in all-cause ESRD (−1.7% per year, P = 0.001), with type 1 diabetic ESRD falling by 7.8% per year (P < 0.001), glomerulonephritic ESRD by 3.1% per year (P = 0.001), and ‘all other non-diabetic’ ESRD by 2.5% per year (P = 0.02). The reductions in ESRD attributed to hypertensive (−2.2% per year) and polycystic renal disease (−1.5% per year) and unknown diagnosis (−0.2% per year) were not statistically significant. On the other hand, the incidence of type 2 diabetic ESRD rose by 9.9% per year (P < 0.001) in the combined Europid population, although that of (principally type 2) diabetic ESRD remained unchanged in the pooled data from the four non-Europid populations. Conclusion: Recent preventive strategies, probably chiefly modern renoprotective treatment, appear to have been effective for tertiary prevention of ESRD caused by the proteinuric nephropathies other than type 2 diabetic nephropathy, for which the continuing increase in Europid populations represents a failure of prevention and/or a change in the nephropathic potential of type 2 diabetes.John H Stewart, Margaret RE McCredie, Sheila M Williams, Kitty J Jager, Lilyanna Trpeski, Stephen P McDonald, for the ESRD Incidence Study GROU

The Growth of competitiveness as a result of the changes of wage and employment

The concept of competitiveness is a multidimensional and is closely related to the country‘s ability to adapt to a constantly changing environment. The growth of competitiveness depends on the main aspects of wage and employment, which is influenced by micro and macro factors. The objective of this article is to assess the link between the wage, employment and competitiveness. The following tasks have been implemented: to analyse the scientific literature about competitiveness and its factors; to reveal the changes of wages and employment; to assess the impact of main factors on competitiveness. In the article, the following methods of analysis are used: an analysis and summarize of the scientific literature, analysis of the statistical data, correlation-regression analysis

Features of the assessment of factors influencing productivity

Purpose – productivity is an economic category that is dependent on many internal and external factors and the assessment and management of these factors positively affects the country’s economic situation. The aim of this article is to identify the main factors that influence productivity and their relationship. Research methodology – the methodology of the article give information about the Granger causality test that was applied in order to assess the factors influence on productivity. Findings – the results of deeper researches of productivity and the assessment of the selected factors have shown that the strongest impact on productivity has the investments and wages. Research limitations – at this article the following research limitations are applied: amount (due to the analysis of productivity and its determinants it is possible to mention that not all factors that have an influence on productivity are included in the concept of research), time (the data of the 1995–2017 y.y. are analyzed) and the method (the most appropriate alternative for the analysis is the use of the Granger causality test). Practical implications – the improvement of the country’s economic situation is possible due to the targeted management of the factors, that have the greatest impact on productivity. Originality/Value – new variables are included in the analysis of productivity and factors that have an influence on it and the evaluation of these factors is carried out in the case of Baltic States

Towards case-mix-adjusted international renal registry comparisons: how can we improve data collection practice?

Lazarus Karamadoukis, David Ansell, Robert N. Foley, Stephen Peter McDonald, Charles R. V. Tomson, Lilyanna Trpeski and Fergus J. Caske