Health and wellness continues long after receiving an organ transplant. Learn about post-transplant health from UNOS Medical Director David Klassen, M.D., Filza Hussain, M.D., of Stanford University, and Koren Axelrod of CareDx. This is the third webinar in our Transplantation Journey series.
Watch the webinar, here.
“Johnson & Johnson is recalling most of its Neutrogena and Aveeno spray sunscreens from U.S. stores after detecting benzene, a potentially cancer-causing chemical, in some samples.
J&J said Wednesday consumers should stop using and discard five of its six Neutrogena and Aveeno spray sunscreens. The company said it is also notifying distributors and retailers to stop selling the products, and arranging for the return of the products.
A company spokesman said the effort would include removing products from shelves.”
Read more about the recall and what to do, here.
“FDA has approved Kerendia (finerenone) tablets to reduce the risk of kidney function decline, kidney failure, cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attacks, and hospitalization for heart failure in adults with chronic kidney disease associated with type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure in the United States. Chronic kidney disease occurs when the kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood normally. Because of defective filtering, patients can have complications related to fluid, electrolytes (minerals required for many bodily processes), and waste build-up in the body. Chronic kidney disease sometimes can progress to kidney failure. Patients also are at high risk of heart disease.”
Read the full report by the FDA, here.
CareDx and the Lung Transplant Foundation hosted the “COVID-19 Vaccines and the Latest Data on Immune Response in Transplant Recipients” webinar on May 12, 2021. More than 1,000 transplant recipients, caregivers, and clinicians tuned in to the live webinar to hear the latest research on the immune response of transplant recipients to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dorry Segev, MD, PhD, a transplant surgeon from Johns Hopkins Medicine, and one of the authors of a recently published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that looked at the antibody response in more than 650 transplant patients, presented findings and answered questions.
Below is a summary of some of the questions posed during the session.
Read the full Q&A, here.
A Word From African American Leaders.
Dr. Velma Scantlebury, America’s First African-American, Female Transplant Surgeon answers your most pressing questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Read the Q&A, here.
The Lung Transplant Foundation (LTF) Joseph J. Carter Mentorship Program connects transplant recipients and caregivers with trained volunteer Mentors who have gone through the lung transplant process themselves.
It provides an essential link between people living successfully following their transplant experience and those new or adjusting to life after a transplant.
Whether someone has lived with an illness for a long time or has been newly diagnosed with an end-stage lung disease, they may feel alone and uncertain about where to turn for help–especially when they learn that a lung transplant is required.
Find more information, here.
People who develop chronic kidney disease may have some or all of the following tests and measurements. If you have kidney disease ask your doctor which tests you will have and how often they will be done. Speak to your doctor about your results. If your numbers are not in the normal range, ask how to improve them.
Learn more, here.
“People with kidney disease should schedule dental visits for days that immediately follow a dialysis day. They should also follow these steps at each dental visit:
List your meds. Be sure that your dentist has a list of all your medications
Premedicate. Most physicians recommend that kidney disease patients take antibiotics before receiving dental treatments because they are at increased risk of infections due to the presence of the shunt used for dialysis. The shunt is a tube that is surgically attached to a blood vessel in the arm or leg of a patient with kidney disease so that it is connected to the dialysis machine during the dialysis process.
Place blood pressure cuff properly. Tell your dental professional or whoever is taking your blood pressure where your shunt is located and be sure that they place the blood pressure cuff on an arm or leg that doesn’t contain the shunt.”
Find out more information, here.
“With over 5 million cases diagnosed in the United States each year, skin cancer is America’s most common cancer. Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer. About 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers and 85 percent of melanoma cases are associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. By sharing facts about the dangers of unprotected exposure and encouraging people to check their skin for warning signs, we can and will save lives.
We can’t do this work alone.
In 2021, for the second straight year, Skin Cancer Awareness Month takes place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though many of us are separated, we can still unite against skin cancer, share the facts and help save lives.”
Learn more information, here.
“May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) recognizes this important month by calling attention to NKF Peers, a free mentoring program that matches people in late stage kidney disease, those on dialysis or living with a transplant, as well as living donors with mentors who provide one-on-one support to guide them through their kidney health journey. As COVID-19 cases in the U.S. continue to rise, NKF Peers is more important than ever because people with kidney disease and transplant recipients face a heightened risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19. In addition, people hospitalized with COVID-19 are developing kidney failure and becoming kidney patients. In these incredibly stressful times, the NKF Peers program is available to kidney patients seeking support, information, and understanding from someone who has been in a similar situation.”
Learn more about the NKF Peers program, here.