ASN Press Releases: 2022
Latest Release: AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY AND 21 KIDNEY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON CONGRESS TO PROTECT LIVING DONORS
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Highlights • Today, advocates of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and 21 other kidney health professional and patient organizations are meeting with their congressional delegations, calling on them to protect living donors and improve access to transplantation • Every day, 13 people die in the United States while waiting for a kidney transplant, the optimal therapy for most of the 800,000 people living with kidney failure • Congress must advance the Living Donor Protection Act (H.R. 1255/S. 377) to remove barriers to living organ donation, increasing access to this important therapy
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- NEW RESEARCH PROVIDES EMPLOYMENT FIGURES OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS
Highlights • In an analysis from The Netherlands, the proportion of employed stable kidney transplant recipients was 56%. • Stable employed kidney transplant recipients reported that they functioned very well at work.
Monday, September 26, 2022 - HOW MIGHT ELIMINATING RACE-BASED ADJUSTMENTS IN ESTIMATES OF KIDNEY FUNCTION AFFECT KIDNEY TRANSPLANT WAITLISTING?
• New clinical equations that estimate individuals' kidney function have eliminated an adjustment for Black race. This study examined the impact of using these new race-free equations on the accumulation of waiting time for kidney transplantation before a patient needs dialysis.
Monday, September 19, 2022 - NEPHROLOGY'S ONGOING INCLUSION INITIATIVES HIGHLIGHT ITS UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES
The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is honored to announce its donation of $25,000 to the onePulse Foundation as a part of ASN's pledge to bring its values to Florida. ASN encourages others to contribute to this campaign and support the Foundation's mission to create and support a memorial that opens hearts, a museum that opens minds, educational programs that open eyes, and legacy scholarships that open doors.
Friday, September 16, 2022 - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY CONTINUES COMMITMENT TO BUILDING EXCELLENCE IN NEPHROLOGY THROUGH LOAN MITIGATION PROGRAM
• The five-year innovative pilot program offers financial support for trainees entering the field of nephrology, focusing on individuals historically underrepresented in medicine. • ASN has committed $2,700,000 to reach those considering nephrology as a career. Six candidates selected in the second year of the program will each receive $50,000 over the course of three years toward the repayment of eligible student loans. • 37 million Americans are living with kidney diseases throughout the United States. • ASN is committed to dismantling systemic racism in nephrology and promoting equal opportunities for future nephrologists.
Monday, September 12, 2022 - STUDY PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO HOW THE IMMUNE SYSTEM OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS RESPONDS TO COVID-19
• Kidney transplant recipients experience immune-insufficiency during acute COVID-19. • The finding may provide an explanation for the low rates of acute rejection observed in transplant recipients with COVID-19, even when their antirejection immunosuppressive medications are reduced to promote protective anti-COVID-19 immunity.
Tuesday, August 30, 2022 - MILLION DOLLAR DONATION FROM OTUSKA AND VISTERRA ESTABLISHES KIDNEYCURE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND JUSTICE RESEARCH SCHOLAR GRANT
• The KidneyCure Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Research Scholar Grant, which was established with a $1 million donation from Otsuka and Visterra that the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) will match, will be awarded every other year beginning in 2023. • It is KidneyCure's first grant designated for an ASN member who identifies as underrepresented in medicine or is conducting research focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, or justice.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022 - TRANSPLANT CANDIDATES' THOUGHTS ABOUT TRADEOFFS OF SHORTER WAIT TIME FOR LOWER QUALITY KIDNEYS
• In a choice-based study of patients who were waiting for or had received a kidney transplant, the average respondent would accept a kidney today with 6.5 years of expected survival of the transplanted organ to avoid waiting 2 additional years for a kidney with 11 years of expected survival.
Friday, August 19, 2022 - PERITONEAL DIALYSIS COSTS MEDICARE LESS THAN HEMODIALYSIS, EVEN AS MORE PATIENTS ARE PLACED ON PERITONEAL DIALYSIS Findings support continued expansion of peritoneal dialysis use.
• In an analysis of data on Medicare beneficiaries starting dialysis in 2008–2015, overall Medicare expenditures for in-center hemodialysis were 11% more than for home-based peritoneal dialysis, and this difference did not change significantly over time as more patients initiated peritoneal dialysis. • The findings suggest that policies that encourage increased use of peritoneal dialysis could lead to lower Medicare expenditures.
Thursday, August 18, 2022 - STUDY REVEALS SEX DIFFERENCES IN AGE-RELATED LOSS OF KIDNEY FUNCTION
• Among healthy middle-aged adults in northern Europe, women tended to have lower kidney function than men, but men's kidney function subsequently declined at a faster rate during aging. • People with no major chronic diseases or risk factors for kidney disease maintained better kidney function, but health status did not explain the sex differences in kidney function decline.
Wednesday, August 17, 2022 - DOES GENDER-AFFIRMING HORMONE THERAPY AFFECT MARKERS OF KIDNEY HEALTH?
• Results from relevant studies indicate that gender-affirming hormone therapy may increase blood levels of creatinine (indicating potential kidney dysfunction or simply a change in lean muscle mass) in transgender men but does not significantly impact blood levels of creatinine in transgender women.
Tuesday, August 16, 2022 - RISK OF SARS-COV-2 INFECTION DURING THE OMICRON SURGE IN PATIENTS ON DIALYSIS: THE ROLE OF ANTIBODY RESPONSES AND VACCINE DOSES
• Among US adults with kidney failure receiving dialysis, risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Omicron-dominant period was higher among patients without vaccination and with 1–2 doses compared with 3 doses of mRNA vaccines. • Irrespective of vaccine doses, risk for infection was higher among patients with low circulating levels of anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
Monday, August 15, 2022 - KidneyX Launches New Artificial Kidney Prize with $10.5 Million in Funding
Today, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) announced a new prize competition from the Kidney Innovation Accelerator (KidneyX) that seeks to further the development of a fully functional bioartificial kidney.
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY STRONGLY SUPPORTS CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF TRANSPLANT SYSTEM
The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) supports efforts by Congress to improve the US transplant system. Today, the Senate Finance Committee will conduct an oversight hearing, A System in Need of Repair: Addressing Organizational Failures of the U.S.'s Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). ASN welcomes the Senate Finance Committee's attention to this urgent and essential area of need and calls for the modernization of the OPTN contract to increase technology performance, security, and transparency and accountability.
Wednesday, August 3, 2022 - ANALYSIS REVEALS SEX DIFFERENCES IN THE RECOGNITION, MONITORING, AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
• Among adults in Stockholm, Sweden with low kidney function suggestive of chronic kidney disease in 2009–2017, women were less likely than men to receive a diagnostic code related to kidney disease, be referred to a nephrologist, have their kidney function monitored, and receive guideline-recommended medications.
Friday, July 29, 2022 - STUDY EXAMINES OLDER ADULTS' QUALITY OF LIFE BEFORE AND AFTER STARTING DIALYSIS
• Among older adults with advanced chronic kidney disease, mental and physical health-related quality of life worsened in the year before they started dialysis treatment, but their quality of life stabilized after dialysis was initiated.
Thursday, July 28, 2022 - IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE DRUG'S BLOOD LEVEL VARIABILITY MAY IDENTIFY PEDIATRIC KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS AT RISK OF REJECTION
• Kidney transplant recipients typically take the immunosuppressant drug tacrolimus to prevent rejection, and some patients experience large fluctuations in blood levels of tacrolimus even when the dose is unchanged. • In a recent study, pediatric kidney transplant recipients with such variability had higher risks of developing antibodies against the transplanted kidney, putting them at risk of rejection.
Tuesday, July 26, 2022 - REAL-WORLD DATA LINKS ROSUVASTATIN WITH SIGNS OF KIDNEY DAMAGE
• Compared with atorvastatin, rosuvastatin was associated with an 8% higher risk of hematuria (blood in the urine), a 17% higher risk of proteinuria (protein in the urine), and a 15% higher risk of developing kidney failure requiring replacement therapy such as dialysis or transplantation. • Risks were higher with a higher dose of rosuvastatin. • Many patients with advanced kidney disease were prescribed a rosuvastatin daily dose exceeding the recommended dose for these patients
Tuesday, July 19, 2022 - STUDY REVEALS RISK OF DEATH AFTER HURRICANES FOR PEOPLE ON DIALYSIS
• In an analysis of 1997–2017 data on U.S. patients requiring dialysis, exposure to a hurricane was associated with a higher risk of death. • Risk of death was highest immediately after a hurricane and waned over time.
Thursday, July 14, 2022 - STUDY RESULTS CHALLENGE CURRENT THINKING ABOUT AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE
• New research indicates that the polycystin-2 protein in cells' endoplasmic reticulum is important for maintaining kidney health, and its lack can contribute to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.
Tuesday, July 12, 2022 - KIDNEYCURE ANNOUNCES 2022 GRANT RECIPIENTS
• KidneyCure (the ASN Foundation) is honored to continue its support of investigators committed to advancing kidney health. Building on decades of success, KidneyCure makes it possible to improve knowledge and treatment by identifying and funding high-impact projects. • Investigators funded by KidneyCure are making a difference in key areas that impact care for millions. KidneyCure is proud to support excellence and innovation, and to extend the advances that the foundation has propelled since its inception.
Friday, July 1, 2022 - STUDY REVEALS HEALTH DISPARITIES IN AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN THE UNITED STATES
• In an analysis of data on US patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, patient outcomes such as age of onset of kidney failure and access to kidney transplantation were strongly associated with race and ethnicity. • Investigators observed earlier onset of kidney failure and less access to kidney transplantation in Black and Hispanic patients.
Monday, June 20, 2022 - THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC'S IMPACT ON TREATMENT DECISION-MAKING FOR OLDER PATIENTS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE
• A recent study examined how uncertainty surrounding the evolving COVID-19 pandemic influenced shared decision-making between clinicians, older patients with chronic kidney disease, and their care partners.
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 - VACCINATION PROTECTS PATIENTS ON DIALYSIS FROM SEVERE COVID-19
• In a study of individuals on hemodialysis who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, most had a mild course of COVID-19, but 39%were hospitalized and 13% died. • After adjustments, prior two-dose vaccination was associated with a 75% lower risk of hospital admission and an 88% lower risk of death compared with no vaccination.
Wednesday, June 1, 2022 - NEW RESEARCH QUESTIONS PREVIOUS LINK BETWEEN DIABETES DRUGS AND BONE FRACTURES
• Although clinical trials have linked diabetes medications called sodium glucose transport-2 inhibitors to higher bone fracture risks, a large study found no additional risks when the medications were compared with diabetes drugs not associated with fractures. • The findings applied to older adults with normal kidney function as well as to those with mild or moderate kidney disease.
Thursday, May 26, 2022 - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY URGES ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is calling on kidney health professionals to take action to address the impact of climate change on the 850 million people—including more than 37 million Americans—living with kidney diseases across the world who are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Wednesday, May 25, 2022 - HOW HAVE CHANGES IN ANEMIA CARE AFFECTED PATIENTS WITH KIDNEY FAILURE?
• 2011 changes in policies and recommendations related to the use of erythropoietin-stimulating agents were associated with lower hemoglobin levels and lower risks of major adverse cardiovascular events, mortality, and stroke among adults receiving hemodialysis, but with a higher risk of heart attack.
Thursday, May 19, 2022 - DOES THE DRUG DAPAGLIFLOZIN BENEFIT HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH COVID-19?
• In hospitalized patients with COVID-19, the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin was well tolerated regardless of kidney function, but did not significantly lower patients' risk of organ failure, kidney problems, or death compared with placebo.
Thursday, April 28, 2022 - NEW TOOL ASSESSES PATIENTS' KIDNEY DISEASE–RELATED KNOWLEDGE
• Researchers have developed and validated a new instrument to measure CKD- and transplant-related knowledge in a racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse group of patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease.
Thursday, March 24, 2022 - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY AND AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF KIDNEY PATIENTS SEEK CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR KIDNEY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION RENEW REQUEST FOR LIVING ORGAN DONOR PROTECTIONS
• Today advocates of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) will meet with their Congressional delegations to ask for new policies to improve kidney health for 37 million Americans living with kidney diseases • Congress will be asked to increase funding for kidney health research at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) • Congress will be asked to accelerate innovation by increasing investment in KidneyX • Congress will be asked to protect insured and uninsured living organ donors, legislation such as the Living Donor Protection Act (H.R. 1255/S. 377) seeks to remove barriers to living organ donation
Wednesday, March 23, 2022 - RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY COST BARRIERS TO MORE WIDESPREAD USE OF PERITONEAL DIALYSIS
• There's a push to transition dialysis care in the United States from in-center to home-based dialysis (including peritoneal dialysis), but a new review has identified several cost considerations that limit the use of peritoneal dialysis. • Addressing these barriers may help to incentivize a switch to peritoneal dialysis.
Monday, March 21, 2022 - Global Kidney Organizations Appeal for Kidney Health for All War Victims
As we observe World Kidney Day 2022 and recognize all the incredible advances in our field, we must pause and remember members of the kidney community in war-torn countries. This year's World Kidney Day theme, "Kidney Health for All," underscores harsh inequities that currently exist around the world. Global attention is currently on the war in Ukraine; many other countries—such as Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen—are also in conflict.
Thursday, March 10, 2022 - COVID-19 VACCINATION PROTECTS ADULTS ON DIALYSIS AGAINST INFECTION AND SEVERE DISEASE
• Compared with individuals on dialysis who were not vaccinated against COVID-19, those who had received 2 mRNA vaccine doses were 69% and 83% less likely to become infected or experience severe disease, respectively. • There were no significant differences in vaccine effectiveness among age groups, mode of dialysis, or vaccine type.
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 - STUDY EXAMINES USE OF PALLIATIVE CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 AND ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY
• In an observational study involving several New York City hospitals, palliative care was used more frequently for hospitalized patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and COVID-19 than historically reported in AKI. • Despite high mortality associated with AKI, consultation for palliative care occurred late in the hospital course and was not associated with reduced initiation of life sustaining interventions.
Thursday, February 24, 2022 - NEW DATA ON THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 VACCINATION IN PATIENTS ON DIALYSIS
• Results from a study from France suggest that both individual and herd vaccine-induced immunity protect against severe forms of COVID-19 in patients on dialysis. • A U.S. study found that antibody responses following COVID-19 vaccination wane over time across vaccine types in patients on dialysis.
Thursday, February 10, 2022 - IMPROVING MODELS TO PREDICT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH KIDNEY DYSFUNCTION
• Several factors not included in prior prediction models were important for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease prediction among patients with chronic kidney disease. • Adding these factors could aid clinicians and patients with decisions related to heart disease prevention.
Thursday, February 10, 2022 - STUDY REVEALS HIGH DEATH RATES ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN HOSPITALIZED VETERANS
• Among veterans with acute kidney injury (AKI) at some point between 2008 to 2017, 6% died in-hospital and 28% died within 1 year. In contrast, in-hospital and one-year mortality was 0.8% and 14%, respectively, among non-AKI hospitalizations. • In veterans hospitalized with AKI, in-hospital and one-year mortality rates remained stable throughout the study period.
Monday, February 7, 2022 - PATIENT AND CAREGIVER EXPERIENCES AND ATTITUDES ABOUT THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN KIDNEY DISEASE RESEARCH
• Interviews of adults with chronic kidney disease and their caregivers who had previously been involved in kidney disease–related research identified various factors that supported their involvement or created challenges to participation.
Monday, February 7, 2022 - HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY-OF-LIFE DIFFERENCES IN MEN AND WOMEN WITH ADVANCED KIDNEY DISEASE
• At the start of a study of older adults with advanced kidney disease, women had lower average physical and mental health-related quality-of-life scores compared with men. • Over time, however, both physical and mental scores declined approximately twice as fast in men than in women.
Monday, January 24, 2022 - HOW WOULD ELIMINATING RACE-BASED ADJUSTMENTS IN ESTIMATES OF KIDNEY FUNCTION IMPACT CLINICAL TRIALS?
• In an analysis of data from a recent clinical trial, researchers found that removing a race-based adjustment in the estimation of individuals' kidney function had a small but potentially important impact on the inclusion of participants, with differing effects on Black and non-Black participants. • Removal of the race-based adjustment also influenced inclusion parameters such as participants' severity of kidney function impairment at baseline as well as their risk of developing cardiovascular- and kidney-related outcomes.
Friday, January 21, 2022 - COVID-19 and its Impact on Kidney Patients Utilizing U.S. Dialysis Centers
A joint statement from the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology January 18, 2022 The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) stress the precarious position people with kidney failure, who are immunocompromised, face as the recent Omicron wave continues to spread among patients and staff at dialysis facilities. Cases of COVID-19 are causing serious illness, forcing shortened treatment times for patients, and exacerbating shortages in staff and supplies that impede access to this life-sustaining treatment. COVID-19's impact on people with kidney diseases has resulted in the first decline in the number of patients on dialysis in the United States in the 50-year history of the Medicare ESRD Program.
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
