Home Dialysis Central
...everything you need to know about doing dialysis at home.
Journal watch
Changing the treatment options paradigm: Home vs. in-center, not PD vs. HD
Traditional ESRD treatment options education divides the choice into PD vs. HD, and then looks at home HD. Drs. Thodis and Oreopoulos suggest that it makes more sense to look at home (PD and HD) vs. in-center instead.
Read more | (added Jul 26, 2011)
The frontier of regenerative medicine—what it can mean for kidney disease
While dialysis can remove wastes and excess water from the blood, it can't replace or respond to hormones like healthy kidneys do. Regenerative medicine is at the cutting edge of efforts to grow kidney cells in the lab—with the goal of one day growing new kidneys. And, that day may not be far off.
Read more | (added Jul 26, 2011)
Pilot results of a wearable artificial kidney
Eight people on HD have now tested a new wearable HD device for 4-8 hours. Fluid was removed with no heart problems, and some wastes were removed as well. The safety devices for needle disconnection and clotting worked quickly. A step forward!
Read more | (added Jun 21, 2011)
Risk factors linked to renal cell cancer (RCC) after long-term dialysis
RCC occurs at higher rates in those who have been on dialysis for many years. If you know the risk factors, you can ask for screening. Those at highest risk in a large study were men; older people; ESRD caused by an obstruction, FSGS, or tuberous sclerosis; and those whose kidneys grew new cysts.
Read more | (added Jun 21, 2011)
More frequent HD linked with less cardiac stunning
During standard HD, the heart gets less blood, which causes damage called "stunning." In a study of 46 people on standard, short daily, or nocturnal HD, those whose treatments were done more often had less cardiac stunning. Those on nocturnal had the least.
Read more | (added Jun 21, 2011)
Fresenius options education program boosts PD & venous access use
The 3,165 people who attended a treatment options program (TOPs) were more than 8 times more likely to choose PD than those who didn't attend—and twice as likely to get a fistula or graft if they chose HD. TOPs attendees were also more likely to survive the first 90 days of treatment.
Read more | (added Jun 21, 2011)
Better survival on home HD than PD in England and Wales
A study from the UK compared 225 people on home HD from 1997 to 2005 with age and sex matched people on PD and standard HD. Those on home HD lived significantly longer than those on PD—even when the researchers adjusted for those who received transplants or were on the wait list.
Read more | (added Jun 21, 2011)
NAC protects PD membrane from sugar damage in rats
Over time, caramelized sugars in PD fluid can scar the peritoneal membrane to the point where PD may no longer work. In a rat study, an antioxidant (N-acetylcysteine, or NAC) reduced this damage. NAC may one day prove to be a treatment for humans.
Read more | (added Jun 21, 2011)
Statin use may boost PD survival
A new study from Korea has found that taking a statin drug to lower cholesterol helped people on PD live longer—whether or not they had diabetes. The researchers suggest that larger, randomized studies are now needed.
Read more | (added Jun 21, 2011)
Early PD survival benefit comes from avoiding HD catheters
Studies have found better survival on PD than standard HD in the first 1-2 years of treatment. A new study of 40,526 people found that the main reason for this difference is that those on PD did not use central venous HD catheters.
Read more | (added Jun 21, 2011)
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