ASN Press Releases: 2014 Archives
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- Older Kidney Donors With Hypertension May Have Good Kidney Health Following Donation
Kidney donors with hypertension had slightly fewer nephrons (the kidney’s filtering units) at the time of donation than similarly aged donors with normal blood pressure; however, 6 months following their surgery, hypertensive and non-hypertensive donors both maintained excellent blood pressure control and had similarly robust compensatory kidney responses.
Thursday, December 18, 2014 - Low Levels Of Circulating Protein Linked With Heart Problems In Mice With Kidney Disease
Decreased blood levels of a protein called Klotho increases the risk of heart disease in mice with chronic kidney disease. If confirmed in humans, increasing Klotho levels may help protect the hearts of patients with chronic kidney disease.
Thursday, December 4, 2014 - Simple Model Predicts Progression Of Kidney Disease Among Socially Disadvantaged Patients
A simple model using 5 commonly available variables from electronic health records adequately discriminates between socially disadvantaged individuals with chronic kidney disease who will and will not progress to kidney failure.
Thursday, December 4, 2014 - High Impact Clinical Trials Yield Results That Could Lead To Improved Kidney Care
The results of numerous high-impact clinical trials that could affect kidney-related medical care will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 November 11¬–16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Saturday, November 15, 2014 - ASN Kidney Week Late-Breaking Clinical Studies Highlight Advances In Kidney Care
The results of numerous high-impact clinical trials that could affect kidney-related medical care will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 November 11–16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Saturday, November 15, 2014 - Most U.S. Adults Cannot Donate a Kidney Due To Preventable Health Problems and Potential Loss of Income
The majority of individuals in the United States are not eligible to donate a kidney, even if they wanted to, according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 November 11–16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Friday, November 14, 2014 - How to Get Teens and Young Adults with Chronic Conditions to Take Their Medications
Many young patients with chronic conditions don’t take their medications correctly, but 2 new studies point to ways to address such medication non-adherence. The studies will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 November 11–16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Friday, November 14, 2014 - Guidelines Indicate That Nearly All Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Should Take Statins
A comparison of two different cholesterol management guidelines indicates that the vast majority of patients with chronic kidney disease are recommended to receive statins. 50% of people with chronic kidney disease who are recommended to receive statins are not taking them.
Thursday, November 13, 2014 - American Society of Nephrology Recognizes Leaders in Fight against Kidney Disease
Five leaders in the kidney health community are being acknowledged by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the world’s largest organization of kidney disease specialists. The award winners will be honored at ASN Kidney Week 2014, the world’s premier nephrology meeting, where more than 13,000 kidney health professionals from around the world will gather in Philadelphia, PA on November 11–16.
Monday, November 10, 2014 - Drug Treatment May Help Restore Kidney Function In Patients With Renovascular Disease
A type of drug called an endothelin-A antagonist promotes the recovery of kidney function and improves responses following renal angioplasty in pigs with a disease frequently observed in patients in which the kidneys’ arteries are blocked. Endothelin-A antagonists are currently available for treating a certain type of hypertension.
Thursday, November 6, 2014 - Women Who Are Obese Are At Increased Risk of Having Babies with Kidney and Urinary Tract Abnormalities
Obesity in a pregnant woman may increase the risk that her children will be born with congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract, according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 November 11–16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014 - American Society of Nephrology–GWU Report Outlines Trends Affecting Current, Future Kidney Health Workforce
The American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the world’s largest organization of kidney health professionals, has released a new analysis of the US nephrology workforce authored by leading health workforce researchers at George Washington University. The study—The US Nephrology Workforce: Developments and Trends—outlines several challenges for the specialty, including a declining interest in nephrology careers among medical students and residents.
Monday, November 3, 2014 - Mediterranean Diet May Help Protect Kidney Health
Every one-point increase in a Mediterranean diet score was associated with a 17% decreased likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease. Dietary patterns that closely resembled the Mediterranean diet were linked with a 50% reduced risk of developing chronic kidney disease and a 42% reduced risk of experiencing rapid kidney function decline.
Thursday, October 30, 2014 - Removal Of Heart Medications By Dialysis May Increase Kidney Failure Patients’ Risk Of Dying Prematurely
Among kidney failure patients on dialysis, beta blockers that are easily removed from the circulation through dialysis were linked with a higher risk of premature death than beta blockers that are not easily removed through dialysis.
Thursday, October 30, 2014 - Many Home Blood Pressure Monitors May Be Inaccurate
Home blood pressure monitors may be inaccurate in up to 15% of patients, according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 November 11–16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014 - Binge Drinking In Young Men Linked With Increased Risk of Hypertension
Binge drinking in early adulthood is associated with an increased likelihood of high blood pressure in males, while low to moderate alcohol use in early adulthood is associated with a decreased likelihood of hypertension in females. The findings come from a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 November 11–16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - Blood Test Helps Predict Relapse In Patients With Autoimmune Disease Affecting The Kidneys
Among patients with an autoimmune disease called ANCA-associated vasculitis, autoantibody increases were linked with an 11-fold increased risk of relapse in patients whose kidneys were affected. Among patients without kidney involvement, such increases were associated only weakly with relapses.
Thursday, October 16, 2014 - Recent Kidney Policy Changes Have Not Created Racial Disparities in Care
After the implementation of a new payment system for kidney failure care and changes to dosing guidelines for anemia drugs, there were no meaningful differences by race regarding changes in management practices or laboratory measures among dialysis patients.
Thursday, October 9, 2014 - EXERCISE LINKED WITH IMPROVED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG DIALYSIS PATIENTS
Among dialysis patients, aerobic activity was linked positively with health-related quality of life and inversely with depressive symptoms and premature death. In general, patients had higher aerobic activity levels if they were treated in dialysis clinics offering exercise programs.
Thursday, October 2, 2014 - BLOOD TESTS PREDICT KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS’ RISK OF DEVELOPING HEART FAILURE
Kidney disease patients with detectable levels of a blood protein called high-sensitivity troponin T had up to a 5-fold increased risk of developing heart failure. Those with high levels of a protein called N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide had a nearly 10-fold increased risk of developing heart failure.
Thursday, October 2, 2014 - COMMON VIRAL INFECTION IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS INCREASES RISK OF DEVELOPING DONOR-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES
Among kidney transplant recipients, persistent infection with BK virus does not have a negative immediate-term impact on patient or kidney survival, but infected patients are more likely to develop antibodies against their kidney transplants. Such donor-specific antibodies are known to be detrimental to the survival of transplanted organs.
Thursday, September 25, 2014 - COOLING OF DIALYSIS FLUIDS PROTECTS AGAINST BRAIN DAMAGE
Dialysis drives progressive white matter brain injury due to blood pressure instability; however, patients who dialyzed at 0.5◦C below body temperature were completely protected against such white matter changes.
Thursday, September 18, 2014 - MANY KIDNEY FAILURE PATIENTS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT PURSUING KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION
Among new dialysis patients, the most frequently cited concerns were that patients felt they were doing fine on dialysis and felt uncomfortable asking someone to donate a kidney. Older age was linked with having high health-related or psychosocial concerns, as was being a woman, being less educated, and having more comorbid illnesses. Patients having such concerns had less than half the chance of getting listed for a transplant than those without them.
Thursday, September 11, 2014 - HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR HEART FAILURE INCREASE KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS’ RISK OF KIDNEY FAILURE, PREMATURE DEATH
Among patients with chronic kidney disease, the risks of developing kidney failure or dying prematurely increased markedly in a step-wise fashion after each successive hospitalization for heart failure.
Thursday, September 4, 2014 - CALCIUM BUILDUP IN CORONARY ARTERIES PREDICTS HEART DISEASE RISK IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
Calcium build-up in the coronary artery walls was more useful for correctly predicting kidney disease patients’ risk of heart disease than other measures of atherosclerosis such as thickness of the carotid artery walls and narrowing of the arteries in the legs.
Thursday, August 21, 2014 - GENDER DISPARITIES UNCOVERED IN DESIRE TO RECEIVE LIVING DONOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS
In 2 predominantly black dialysis clinics, women were less likely to want to undergo living donor kidney transplantation compared with men, despite being more likely than men to receive unsolicited offers for kidney transplants from family and friends. Women were also less likely to have been evaluated for a kidney transplant.
Thursday, August 14, 2014 - ACUPUNCTURE WITH ELECTRICAL STIMULATION MAY TREAT MUSCLE ATROPHY CAUSED BY KIDNEY DISEASE
An acupuncture technique called low-frequency electrical stimulation improved muscle regeneration in mice with muscle atrophy due to kidney disease. This unique acupuncture treatment stimulated cells that had anti-inflammatory effects.
Thursday, August 14, 2014 - NEW TEST PREDICTS INDIVIDUAL’S RISK OF A SECOND KIDNEY STONE
A new tool uses 11 questions to accurately calculate the probability that a patient will have another symptomatic kidney stone at 2, 5, or 10 years after the first stone. Characteristics that predict a higher risk include younger age, male gender, white race, family history of kidney stones, blood seen in the urine, stone made of uric acid, obstructing stone in the kidney pelvis, any additional non-obstructing stone, and a past painful event attributed to a kidney stone that was not actually seen.
Thursday, August 7, 2014 - DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND PAIN MAY AFFECT ADHERENCE AND HEALTH OUTCOMES IN DIALYSIS PATIENTS
Among patients on chronic hemodialysis, those with depressive symptoms and pain were more likely to abbreviate or miss dialysis sessions, visit the emergency department, and be hospitalized. Depressive symptoms were also linked with an increased risk of premature death.
Friday, August 1, 2014 - COST OF KIDNEY DONATION MAY BE TOO MUCH FOR POTENTIAL DONORS WITH LOW INCOME
Between 1999 and 2010, lower income regions in the US consistently had lower rates of living donation compared with higher income populations. The difference in living donation rates between lower and higher income regions was much larger in recent years than it was in the past.
Thursday, July 17, 2014 - COST OF EXPENSIVE MEDICATION IN DIALYSIS CATHETERS MAY BE OFFSET BY REDUCED COMPLICATIONS
The increased cost of an expensive drug that can prevent clots in dialysis catheters may be offset by lower costs for managing complications. Additional studies are needed to determine the medication’s long-term cost and effectiveness.
Thursday, July 10, 2014 - SMALL CHANGES TO US KIDNEY ALLOCATION POLICY MAY HELP REDUCE GEOGRAPHIC DISPARITIES IN TRANSPLANTATION
In Tennessee and Florida, waiting times and other measures of geographic disparity in kidney transplantation became almost equal after the states adopted a Statewide Sharing variance to the national kidney allocation policy in the early 1990s. Meanwhile, the geographic disparity in kidney transplantation became worse in other comparable states.
Thursday, June 26, 2014 - RISK FACTORS FOR CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE ARE PRESENT DECADES BEFORE DIAGNOSIS
Obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and diabetes increase a person’s risk of developing chronic kidney disease decades later. Early identification of such risk factors may help improve efforts to prevent kidney disease.
Thursday, June 26, 2014 - STUDY DOCUMENTS IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES IN HOSPITALIZATION RATES AMONG RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS ON DIALYSIS
During the first year of dialysis, white patients overall had higher hospitalization rates than blacks and Hispanics, but younger black patients, older black patients, and older Hispanic patients had increased hospitalization rates compared with whites of similar ages. Both blacks and Hispanics were at greater risk of hospitalization due to dialysis-related infections than whites.
Thursday, June 19, 2014 - SURVIVAL DIFFERENCES AMONG YOUNG BLACK AND WHITE DIALYSIS PATIENTS MOST STRIKING IN POOR NEIGHBORHOODS
Young black adults on dialysis living in poor neighborhoods had a higher risk of dying while still young compared with all other young black and white adults. Among young adult dialysis patients living in poor neighborhoods, blacks had approximately a 1.5 times greater risk of dying compared with whites.
Thursday, June 12, 2014 - REDUCED KIDNEY FUNCTION LINKED WITH HIGHER RISK OF KIDNEY AND UROTHELIAL CANCERS
Individuals’ risk of kidney cancer increased with decreasing kidney function. Individuals with poor kidney function also had an increased risk of urothelial cancer. Kidney function was not linked with risk for other cancers, including prostate, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers.
Thursday, May 29, 2014 - PATIENTS WITH A CERTAIN FORM OF KIDNEY DISEASE MAY HAVE A REDUCED RISK OF CANCER
After adjusting for demographic differences between kidney transplant recipients with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and other kidney transplant recipients, PKD patients were 16% less likely to develop cancer than others who received a kidney transplant.
Thursday, May 22, 2014 - KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION FOUND SUPERIOR TO INTENSIVE HOME HEMODIALYSIS
Kidney transplant patients had a reduced risk of treatment failure or premature death compared with patients on long and frequent home hemodialysis. Kidney transplant patients had a higher risk of being hospitalized within the first several months to a year, but they had a reduced risk over the long term.
Thursday, May 22, 2014 - NEW KIDNEY ALLOCATION POLICY COULD IMPROVE THE SUCCESS OF TRANSPLANTATIONS IN THE U.S.
Simulation models predict that a newly approved kidney allocation policy will lead to a 7.7% increase in median patient life-years per transplant and a 3.2% increase in median allograft years of life. The policy may also improve access to transplantation for highly sensitized candidates but reduce access for older patients.
Thursday, May 15, 2014 - WALKING MAY HAVE PROFOUND BENEFITS FOR PATIENTS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE
Among patients with chronic kidney disease who were followed for an average of 1.3 years, those who walked for exercise were 33% less likely to die and 21% less likely to need dialysis or a kidney transplant. The more patients walked, the less likely they were to die or to need dialysis or a transplant.
Thursday, May 15, 2014 - PRENATAL RISK FACTORS MAY PUT CHILDREN AT RISK OF DEVELOPING KIDNEY DISEASE
Low birth weight and maternal conditions, including diabetes and overweight/obesity, are linked the development of kidney disease in children. Additional studies are needed to see if modifying these factors can reduce the incidence of kidney disease.
Thursday, April 17, 2014 - WALKING MAY HELP PROTECT KIDNEY PATIENTS AGAINST HEART DISEASE AND INFECTIONS
In kidney disease patients, 30 minutes of walking improved the responsiveness of certain immune cells to a bacterial challenge and induced a systemic anti-inflammatory environment in the body. Six months of regular walking reduced immune cell activation and markers of systemic inflammation.
Thursday, April 3, 2014 - POOR QUALITY OF LIFE MAY CONTRIBUTE TO KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS’ HEALTH PROBLEMS
In African American patients with chronic kidney disease, poor quality of life was linked with increased risks of disease progression and heart problems.
Thursday, April 3, 2014 - MAJOR DEPRESSION LINKED WITH NEARLY TWICE THE RISK OF KIDNEY FAILURE IN DIABETICS
Diabetics with major depressive symptoms had an 85% higher risk of developing kidney failure. Minor depressive symptoms were not significantly linked with the development of kidney failure among diabetics.
Thursday, March 27, 2014 - AUTOIMMUNE DRUG MAY HELP PREVENT KIDNEY DISEASE CAUSED BY DIABETES
A receptor called B7-1 is expressed by kidney cells during the progression of kidney disease in diabetic mice and humans. Targeting this receptor with an available drug called CTLA4-Ig, or abatacept, helps to maintain kidney function in mice.
Thursday, March 27, 2014 - MEDICAID EXPANSION MAY HELP PREVENT KIDNEY FAILURE AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO KIDNEY-RELATED CARE
States with broader Medicaid coverage among low-income nonelderly adults had lower incidences of kidney failure from 2001 through 2008. Low-income nonelderly kidney failure patients with Medicaid had better access to care in states with broader Medicaid coverage.
Thursday, March 20, 2014 - DECLINES IN FUNDING HAMPER KIDNEY RESEARCH AND OTHER AREAS OF MEDICAL STUDY
Medical research funding in the United States is at an all-time low. Diminished funding has affected kidney disease research more than other disease-defined research areas.
Thursday, March 20, 2014 - BODY’S FATTY FOLDS MAY HELP FIGHT KIDNEY FAILURE
In rats with kidney disease, functioning of the kidney improved when the organ was fused with the omentum, a fatty fold of tissue that lies close to the kidney and is a rich source of stem cells. Stem cells from a chronic kidney disease patient’s own omentum may help heal diseased kidneys without the need for an outside source of cells.
Thursday, March 13, 2014