By Judy Stone
A new study in Lancet showed that it is safe for HIV + people to be living kidney donors. People living with HIV (PLWH) have long faced stigma and discrimination. The new report shows that donors do not face a higher risk of end-stage kidney disease. This was a concern because PLWH have a higher likelihood of kidney disease from their HIV itself, and antiretroviral (anti-HIV) medicines carry kidney and liver toxicities.
Read the complete article in Forbes.
Reviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLM
Based on findings from a study published today in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and three collaborating medical institutions suggest that people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who donate a kidney to other people living with HIV (PLWH) have a low risk of developing end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) or other kidney problems in the years following the donation. Read the full article in News Medical Life Sciences.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A father is getting back to doing what he loves after undergoing a rare triple-organ transplant at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Valance Sams Sr. underwent the 20-hours surgery for a new heart, liver and kidney this past spring, according to the hospital. Check out the full story from ABC 7 Los Angeles.
You may already be aware of a recent Medicare change that limits coverage for non-invasive transplant blood tests such as AlloSure and AlloMap which could put patients at risk.
A patient-focused coalition, Honor the Gift, has created a way for you to get involved to protect patient access to care by sending a letter directly to your congressman voicing your concern. Honor the Gift is dedicated to advocating for greater access and coverage for the care and services that help to ensure the long-term health of transplant patients.
Help make sure every transplant patient continues to receive the critical innovations they deserve.
Click on the link below to learn more about Honor the Gift and to write your member of Congress today.
Act now—the voices of transplant patients can make a difference!
By Karen Jordan
CHICAGO (WLS) — It’s the first day of medical school for Melanie Romo, a 12-year old girl shadowing a nurse at Lurie Children’s Hospital.
First up for Melanie was evaluating Bella, who volunteered to act as a patient with gall stones.
This is the experience Melanie was hoping for. She was once a patient at Lurie, diagnosed two years ago with chronic kidney disease and in need of a transplant. Read and watch the full story from ABC 7 Chicago.
By Chloe Courtney Bohl
Observant commuters may have noticed an ad with an unusual call to action on the T this month. The orange posters feature a photo of a smiling couple and read, “My wife, Deb, needs a new kidney.” A Lexington man, Paul Savuto, has turned to the patrons of the MBTA in his quest to find an organ donor who can save his wife’s life.
Read the full story in Boston.com.
By Scott Buzby
Concomitant chronic kidney disease and diabetes was prognostic of all-cause death and MI within 3 years among women undergoing drug-eluting stent implantation, according to new data. Read the full article in Healio.
Mind Your Meds
One of the most important responsibilities you will have after getting your kidney transplant is following a prescribed and complex medication regimen.
Taking immunosuppressant (anti-rejection) medications will be required for the rest of your life. Read the complete article on CareDx.com.
By Shawn M. Carter
While SGLT2 inhibitors are often associated with bone and mineral metabolism irregularities, it remains unclear if these are linked to higher fracture risk in patients with chronic kidney disease, according to recently published research. Read the full article in Healio.
By Jennifer Southall
Adolescent and young adult survivors of kidney cancer appeared at significantly increased risk for left ventricular ejection fraction, according to study results published in Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Nearly half of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) treated with sorafenib (Nexavar, Bayer) and one-third of those treated with sunitinib (Sutent, Pfizer) developed hypertension, researchers noted.
Read the full article in Healio.