A Kidney Transplant Could Be the Key to a Healthier, Longer, More Fulfilling Life

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Kidneys act as blood filters for the human body. Normally, kidneys filter approximately half a cup of blood every minute. During the filtration process, the kidneys remove wastes and extra water, resulting in urine. Sometimes, because of certain underlying kidney diseases, they fail to filter the blood correctly. This can lead to kidney failure. Read the full article from CBS Miami.

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Do you need support?

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You aren’t alone! Talk to someone who’s been there.

What is NKF PEERS?

NKF PEERS is a peer mentoring program, where kidney patients are connected via phone with trained mentors who have been there themselves. Peer mentors can share their experiences with dialysis, transplant, or living kidney donation with you. 
Learn more about NKF Peers from the National Kidney Foundation.

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AAKP 5th Annual Policy Summit

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June 30, 2022 @ 8:00 am 5:00 pm

The 5th Annual Policy Summit will continue to bring together key influencers from across all sectors of the policy spectrum: patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, industry, and the federal government. The focus for 2022 will be to highlight innovation in kidney biologics and diagnostics and devices, as well as examine the expanding impact of kidney disease in America and the accelerating need for policies that honor full consumer choice in treatment and smarter policies to better align both regulatory and payment decisions.

All 2022 AAKP events will be held virtually to ensure the safety of all participants.

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Some Kidney Transplant Patients Respond to Fourth COVID Vax Dose

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“A fourth dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine boosted antibodies among half of kidney transplant recipients with suboptimal immune responses after three doses, a French case series found.

Among 92 patients with low anti-spike IgG titers (below 143 binding antibody units/mL) 1 month after the third dose, 50% reached the 143 BAU/mL threshold considered adequate against the initial COVID variants at 1 month following their fourth dose, reported Sophie Caillard, MD, PhD, of Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg in France, and colleagues.”

Read more here.

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Steroids Cut Risk for Serious Renal Events in IgA Nephropathy

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“Oral steroids helped reduce the risk of major kidney outcomes for patients with immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy, the TESTING study found.

In a randomized trial of 503 participants, those who received oral methylprednisolone saw a 47% risk reduction for a composite kidney outcome — defined as a 40% eGFR decline or kidney failure resulting in dialysis, transplantation, or kidney disease-related death — meeting the primary endpoint (event rate 7.0 vs 11.8/100 patient-years; HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.39-0.72, P<0.0001), reported Vlado Perkovic, MBBS, PhD, of the University of New South Wales in Sydney.”

Learn more here.

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Chronic Kidney Disease and the Importance of Early Detection

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“Approximately 1 in 7 adults in the United States has chronic kidney disease, which occurs when kidneys have become damaged over time and do not work as well as healthy kidneys. Kidney failure may lead to anemia, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and early death. People may not feel sick or notice any symptoms. Therefore, it can go undetected until it has advanced.

However, if caught in its early stages, kidney damage can be kept from getting worse by following a healthy diet and taking the proper medicine. We sit down with Erich, a chronic kidney disease patient of 30 years, and his wife and care provider Andria to hear their story. We also meet with Dr. Cosette Jamieson, a nephrologist who specializes in chronic kidney disease, to learn about the importance of early diagnosis and management strategies for patients.”

Learn more here.

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How the kidney works

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“Your kidneys play a vital role in balancing the amount of fluid in your body, detecting waste in your blood, and knowing when to release the vitamins, minerals, and hormones you need to stay alive. They do this by disposing of waste products and turning them into urine.”

Lear more from UNOS here.

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Kidney Failure Patients Face High Rates of Insomnia

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“Many kidney failure patients struggle with insomnia and other types of sleep disorder. Learn how common this is, the risks, what these patients go through, and how to manage it.

Are you or a loved one a chronic kidney disease (CKD) patient that struggles with sleeping well at night? Insomnia is a common sleep disorder among all individuals but especially those with kidney failure. It is characterized by persistent difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep and poor subjective sleep quality. Learn more about insomnia and kidney failure, including the prevalence, causes, potential consequences, and treatment options.”

Learn more here.

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Common Gene Variant May Predict Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes

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“A common genetic variant predicted poor outcomes from peritoneal dialysis, suggesting a potential factor for patient selection and treatment, researchers found.

Variants in AQP1, the gene that encodes for a key water transport channel across the peritoneal membrane, were associated with decreased ultrafiltration while on peritoneal dialysis and a 70% increased risk of death or failure of that form of dialysis as well.

The 10-16% of patients with the TT genotype of the rs2075574 variant could be good candidates for precision medicine in dialysis treatment, Johann Morelle, MD, PhD, of the Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc in Brussels, Belgium, and colleagues reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.”

Read more here.

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