Kidney – Page 3

August 9, 2021August 16, 2022

National Kidney Foundation and Labcorp Data Show Millions Aren’t Tested for Kidney Disease

“New data suggest that millions of patients most at-risk for life-threatening kidney disease are unaware they have it because they are not tested according to clinical practice guidelines despite their risk. The study, by authors from the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and Labcorp, appears today in the journal Diabetes Care.

In the study, “Chronic Kidney Disease Testing (CKD) Among At-Risk Adults in the U.S. Remains Low: Real-World Evidence from a National Laboratory Database,” investigators reviewed laboratory ordered CKD tests from more than 28 million patients with diabetes, hypertension (also known as high blood pressure), or both, that were tested by Labcorp between 2013 and 2018.”

Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine, What Kidney Patients Need to Know

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Most doctors agree that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine for people with kidney disease at any stage, including those on dialysis and those with a kidney transplant, are much greater than the risk of serious complications from the virus than from the vaccine.

Dialysis patients who contract COVID-19 are at extremely high risk of short-term mortality, possibly higher than 20 percent.

The National Kidney Foundation, American Society of Nephrology, and American Society of Transplantation all recommend that people with kidney disease or kidney transplant be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Vaccines are one of the most effective tools to protect your health and prevent disease. Vaccines work with your body’s natural defenses so your body will be ready to fight a virus if you are exposed (also called immunity).”

NKF Publishes Recommendations to Move Thousands of Patients from Dialysis to Transplant

“The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) releases today a position paper developed by 16 experts in nephrology and transplantation from 13 institutions that plots a path for research and innovation to address the most pressing barriers to kidney transplant access, organ availability, and long-term allograft survival in the United States.

This ambitious agenda seeks to direct research investment to optimize equity, efficiency, and patient-centered outcomes and maximize the benefits of transplantation in our country. Today, while nearly 100,000 people are on the waitlist for a kidney transplant, only 22,817 Americans received a kidney transplant in 2020.

“While kidney transplantation provides the best treatment option for kidney failure to thousands of patients each year, the goal of universal access to this treatment remains elusive,” said lead author Krista L. Lentine, MD, PhD, Saint Louis University Center for Abdominal Transplantation. “Addressing the priorities outlined in this research agenda has the potential to transform kidney patient care by expanding opportunities for safe living donation, improving waitlist access and transplant readiness, maximizing use of available deceased donor organs, and extending graft longevity.”

To assess the knowledge gaps amenable to more research, NKF convened an expert panel to develop a research agenda aimed at advancing access to kidney transplantation for all patients who could benefit, with attention to reducing/eliminating racial and ethnic disparities and supporting the goal of “one transplant for life” for organ recipients.”

Read full article, here.

July 24, 2021August 16, 2022

Antibody Response After a Third Dose of the Vaccine in Kidney Transplant Recipients With Minimal Serologic Response to 2 Doses

“Studies have reported low seroconversion rates (58% after the second dose) in solid organ transplant recipients who received a messenger RNA (mRNA) SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.^1,2 Based on this evidence, the French National Authority for Health issued a recommendation in April 2021 to administer a third vaccine dose in immunosuppressed patients who did not respond after 2 doses. We examined the antibody responses of kidney transplant recipients who did not respond to 2 doses and received a third dose (100 μg) of the mRNA-1273 vaccine (Moderna).

Methods

All kidney transplant recipients followed up in the outpatient Kidney Transplantation Department of Strasbourg University Hospital between January 20, 2021, and June 3, 2021, with a negative history for COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 antispike IgG levels less than 50 arbitrary units (AU)/mL on the day of the first vaccine injection and 1 month after the second dose were included. All patients received a third vaccine dose between April 9, 2021, and May 12, 2021. The study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee and written informed consent was obtained.”

Learn more, here.

July 21, 2021July 19, 2021

How organ transplants work

“When a person needs an organ transplant, it is because one of their organs is working very poorly or failing. Undergoing an organ transplant can lengthen a person’s life and allow those with a chronic illness to live a normal lifespan.

Many people need an organ transplant due to a genetic condition such as polycystic kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, or a heart defect.

Infections such as hepatitis, physical injuries to organs, and damage due to chronic conditions such as diabetes may also cause a person to require a transplant.

Surgeons performed more than 36,000 organ transplants in 2018, but many more people need organs. In January 2019, more than 113,000 people in the United States were on organ transplant waiting lists. More than 2,000 children need organs.

The transplant process varies slightly depending on the organ, but the need for a matching donor is a consistent theme.”

Learn more, here.

July 19, 2021August 16, 2022

How Does Phosphate Binder Type Affect the Heart in Hemodialysis?

“Trial compared calcium-based vs non-calcium-based binders.

Non-calcium-based phosphate binders weren’t any better at reducing cardiovascular events than calcium-based binders in dialysis patients, the LANDMARK trial determined.

In the open-label randomized trial of over 2,300 Japanese patients on hemodialysis, there were no significant differences in composite cardiovascular events between the lanthanum carbonate group versus the calcium carbonate group (HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.88-1.41, P=0.37), reported Hiroaki Ogata, MD, of Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital in Kanagawa, Japan, and colleagues.”

Post-transplant health & wellness webinar (part 2)

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.

July 17, 2021August 16, 2022

MAYO CLINIC STUDY EXPANDS CRITERIA TO BE A LIVING KIDNEY DONOR

Mayo Clinic says the pool of people who can be living kidney donors has expanded following the results of a recent study. Doctors say the results can help save more lives.

Previously transplant physicians were concerned about transplanting kidneys from patients with high blood pressure because of the possible long-term health impacts to them while living with just one kidney.

The study from Mayo Clinic included more than 100 patients and was conducted over 20 years. Dr. Mark Stegall, the Professor of Surgery at Mayo Clinic Rochester, says researchers found certain individuals with controlled hypertension can safely donate a kidney.

Factors ID’d for COVID-19 Infection Risk in Dialysis Patients

“For individuals receiving in-center hemodialysis, the risk for having a positive test for infection or admission with suspected COVID-19 is associated with age, diabetes, local community COVID-19 rates, and dialysis unit size, according to a study published online in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Ben Caplin, MBChB, PhD, from University College London, and colleagues explored the role of variables such as community disease burden, dialysis unit attributes, and infection control strategies among patients receiving in-center hemodialysis between March 2 and May 31, 2020. Data were included for 5755 patients receiving dialysis in 51 units. Outcomes were defined as a positive test for infection or admission to the hospital with suspected COVID-19.”

Read more, here.

July 15, 2021August 16, 2022

FDA Approves Drug to Reduce Risk of Serious Kidney and Heart Complications in Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease Associated with Type 2 Diabetes

“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.