If you have CKD, EAT!

We know that malnutrition in people on dialysis is a killer. Turns out that the same holds true with earlier stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). A new study found that people with CKD who had lower levels of protein (albumin) in their blood were 70% more likely to die.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

ESAs save lives and dollars in CKD

Erythrocyte-stimulating agents like EPOGEN, Procrit, and Aranesp have gotten a bad rap lately. A new study looked back at data from 8,188 patients ages 15 or over with CKD and anemia who were enrolled in health plans. The findings: the 14.6% who received ESAs were less likely to be hospitalized or go to the ER, took longer to reach dialysis, were less likely to die in the hospital—and their care cost less, too.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

Vytorin® reduced heart attacks & strokes in those with CKD

In a study of more than 9,000 people, the cholesterol-lowering (statin) drug Vytorin significantly reduced the risk of heart attacks and strokes. One-third of those who took part were on dialysis; the rest had stage 3,4, or 5 CKD.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

Somebody does it better

Like the U.S., Australia now requires folks with CKD to be educated about all treatment options. Unlike the U.S., they are following up to see if this is happening. A new study of 721 people with CKD found that 84% had options education before starting treatment. (We'd bet that the rates here are still far, far lower!)

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

Toronto: 61% of dialysis patients went home

Imagine what US dialysis would look like if we could do what our neighbors do! A study of 486 people with CKD from 2001-2007 found that, of the 153 who started dialysis, most went home (79 on PD, 15 on home HD). Why (or why not)?

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

Straight talk: Improve CKD outcomes by prescribing better dialysis

Longer or more-frequent treatments, better access choices, ultrapure water, and better removal of fluid and toxic middle molecules could improve survival on dialysis, say researchers.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

Better CKD care saves lives

People who met targets for access, hemoglobin, and blood protein levels before starting dialysis were far more likely to survive the first year, finds a new study of 192,307 patients. But just 2% met all three goals—even when they'd been seeing a nephrologist for a year.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

Naturally higher red blood cell counts do NOT reduce survival

It never made sense to us that a "normal" hemoglobin level would somehow become harmful in kidney failure. And, in fact, it's not the Hgb itself that causes harm. A new DOPPS study of 545 people on dialysis whose Hgbs were normal without ESA drugs found no difference in survival.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

Future of the artificial kidney

Learn the latest on futuristic dialysis with wearable and miniaturized devices!

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

Need high doses of EPO? Might want to check for CMV

A new study from the Netherlands has found that people who have ESRD and have been exposed to the cytomegalovirus (CMV) have immune changes. With fewer working T-cells, they can't respond as well to anemia drugs.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease