ASN Press Releases: 2016 Archives
Read Press Releases
- RACIAL DISPARITIES EXIST IN CHILDREN’S ACCESS TO KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION
In a study of children with kidney failure who were followed for a median of 7.1 years, black children had a 36% higher risk of dying than white children. The increase risk was mostly attributed to differences in access to transplantation. Hispanic children had lower risk of death than white children even though they had lower access to transplantation.
Thursday, December 29, 2016 - BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING RATES ARE LOW IN WOMEN WITH ADVANCED KIDNEY DISEASE
In a recent study, most women with advanced chronic kidney disease had not received breast or cervical cancer screening in recent years. Older age, greater comorbidities, and lower income were associated with a lower rate of screening. Cancer risk is elevated in people with chronic kidney disease.
Thursday, December 29, 2016 - SMOKING WHILE PREGNANT MAY COMPROMISE CHILDREN’S KIDNEY FUNCTION
The effects of smoking on kidney health were evident in 3-year-old children. Compared with those born from nonsmoking mothers, young children whose mothers smoked while pregnant were 1.24-times more likely to show signs of kidney damage.
Thursday, December 22, 2016 - PRIOR KIDNEY DAMAGE MAY POSE RISKS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND THEIR BABIES
Study links a history of acute kidney injury with preeclampsia and adverse fetal outcomes Women with a history of recovered acute kidney injury had an increased rate of preeclampsia and delivered infants earlier than women with a history of normal kidney function.
Thursday, December 22, 2016 - DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE ARE SERIOUS HEALTH CONCERNS FOR OLDER KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS
Rates are higher in transplant recipients and may increase their risks of organ loss and early death Risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are higher in older kidney transplant recipients than in older adults in the general population. Among kidney transplant recipients, those who developed dementia or Alzheimer’s disease had higher rates of organ loss and patient death than those who did not develop these conditions. There has been a 5-fold rise in the number of older deceased donor kidney transplant recipients since 1990.
Thursday, December 15, 2016 - OLD AGE SHOULD NOT EXCLUDE ORGAN DONATION AFTER DEATH
Kidneys from elderly deceased individuals can function for years after transplantation
Thursday, December 15, 2016 - The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Applauds Congress and President Barack H. Obama for Passage and Signing into Law the 21st Century Cures Act
The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) applauds Congress and President Barack H. Obama for passage and signing into law the 21st Century Cures Act today. ASN advocated for specific provisions of the new law to benefit the more than 20 million Americans afflicted with kidney diseases and the 650,000 with kidney failure who rely on a kidney transplant or dialysis to live.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016 - HEALTHY DIET MAY HELP KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS LIVE LONGER
A healthy diet high in fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, cereals, whole grains, and fiber, and low in red meat, salt, and refined sugars was linked with a reduced risk of early death in an analysis of 7 studies. Chronic kidney disease affects 10% to 13% of adults.
Thursday, December 8, 2016 - STUDY FURTHERS RESEARCH ON PROTEIN INVOLVED IN KIDNEY DISEASE
Investigators reveal that Apol1, a protein implicated in kidney disease, is produced mainly by the liver. Individuals of recent African ancestry have an increased risk of carrying variants in the APOL1 gene that are linked to kidney disease.
Thursday, December 8, 2016 - TIGHTER BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL MAY SAVE MORE THAN 100,000 LIVES EACH YEAR IN THE U.S.
New research estimates the projected lives that would be saved if patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease underwent intensive blood pressure lowering.
Saturday, November 19, 2016 - SHORT AND POOR QUALITY SLEEP MAY HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON KIDNEY FUNCTION
In a study of patients with chronic kidney disease, each additional hour of nighttime sleep was linked with a 19% lower risk of developing kidney failure. There was also a significant association between sleep quality and kidney failure risk.
Saturday, November 19, 2016 - COORDINATION OF CARE BENEFITS PATIENTS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE AND REDUCES MEDICAL COSTS
Multi-disciplinary care—or coordination of care among different clinicians and specialists—improves the health of patients with kidney disease and reduces costs compared with usual care.
Saturday, November 19, 2016 - SCIENTISTS GET CLOSER TO DEVELOPING BIOARTIFICIAL KIDNEY
Researchers have developed a key component needed to create a bioartificial kidney.
Saturday, November 19, 2016 - REFLUX AND ULCER MEDICATIONS LINKED TO KIDNEY STONES AND CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
Individuals who took proton pump inhibitors or histamine receptor-2 blockers for heartburn, acid reflux, or ulcers had elevated risks of developing kidney stones. In individuals without acute kidney injury, proton pump inhibitors were linked with a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease or kidney failure compared with histamine receptor-2 blockers.
Friday, November 18, 2016 - SIMPLE SALIVA TEST MAY HELP CLINICIANS DIAGNOSE KIDNEY DISEASE
A dipstick test for salivary urea nitrogen was accurate for diagnosing kidney disease in adults in Malawi, Africa. Results of the test also helped predict patients’ risk of early death.
Friday, November 18, 2016 - PROGRAM MAY HELP INCREASE NUMBERS OF LIVE KIDNEY DONORS
The Live Donor Champion program increased knowledge of live donation and comfort approaching others about live donation, and it boosted live donor referrals.
Thursday, November 17, 2016 - SMOKING MAY BLOCK SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF KIDNEY DISEASE MEDICATIONS
In a study of patients with chronic kidney disease, nonsmokers and smokers who successfully quit had slower worsening of their kidney function than those who were unsuccessful at quitting. Cigarette smoking partially negated the kidney-protective effects of patients’ medications.
Thursday, November 17, 2016 - METHOD TO CREATE KIDNEY ORGANOIDS FROM PATIENT CELLS PROVIDES INSIGHTS ON KIDNEY DISEASE
Scientists have developed a method to coax human pluripotent stem cells to mature into cells that go on to form the functional units of the kidney. The team has demonstrated how the method can be used to study human kidney diseases.
Thursday, November 17, 2016 - RESEARCH PROVIDES INSIGHTS ON THE LINK BETWEEN KIDNEY DAMAGE AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
Kidney damage was linked with worse performance on tests of global cognitive function, executive function, memory, and attention. Kidney damage may also be linked with structural abnormalities in the brain.
Thursday, November 17, 2016 - REDUCING SALT INTAKE MAY HELP PROTECT KIDNEY PATIENTS’ HEART AND KIDNEY HEALTH
In patients with chronic kidney disease, dietary sodium restriction reduced albuminuria (an indicator of kidney dysfunction) and blood pressure, whereas paricalcitol (a vitamin D receptor activator) in itself had no significant effect on these measures. The combination of paricalcitol and a low sodium diet resulted in the lowest albuminuria levels in patients.
Thursday, November 17, 2016 - KIDNEY FAILURE PATIENTS’ ADVANCE DIRECTIVES OFTEN INADEQUATELY ADDRESS END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS RELATED TO DIALYSIS
In a recent analysis, approximately half of dialysis patients had advance directives, but only 3% specifically addressed dialysis management at the end of life. Patients were far more likely to address other end-of-life interventions than dialysis in their advance directives.
Thursday, November 17, 2016 - TELEMEDICINE PROGRAM PROVIDES LIFE-SAVING KIDNEY CARE TO PATIENTS IN RURAL AREAS
A telemedicine program that partners a national dialysis provider with a rural hospital in Kentucky can surmount traditional barriers to deliver kidney care to rural hospitals.
Thursday, November 17, 2016 - STUDY UNCOVERS LINK BETWEEN CONSTIPATION AND KIDNEY DISEASE
Individuals with constipation had a 13% higher likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease and a 9% higher likelihood of developing kidney failure compared with individuals without constipation. More severe constipation was linked with an incrementally higher risk for both chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.
Thursday, November 10, 2016 - RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY RECEPTOR THAT MAY ALLOW HIV TO INFECT KIDNEY CELLS
New research suggests that transmembrane TNF-alpha may allow HIV to infect kidney cells that not express the major HIV-1 CD4 receptor. The findings could provide insights on how patients develop HIV-1 associated nephropathy.
Thursday, November 3, 2016 - FACTORS SECRETED BY GUT BACTERIA MAY HELP COMBAT KIDNEY STONES
Researchers have discovered that factors secreted by gut bacteria might help prevent or treat kidney stones. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Thursday, October 13, 2016 - OUTREACH PROGRAM BOOSTS DIALYSIS FACILITIES’ REFERRALS FOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION, ESPECIALLY FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS
An educational and outreach initiative boosted kidney transplant referrals and reduced racial disparities in such referrals in Georgia, the state with the lowest kidney transplantation rate and the highest proportion of African Americans with kidney failure. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Thursday, October 13, 2016 - KIDNEY DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH IMAGING AGENT MAY BE OVER-ESTIMATED
A new analysis indicates that radiocontrast, which is commonly used during imaging tests, may be less hazardous to the kidneys than previously thought. Among nearly 6 million hospitalized patients, those who received radiocontrast did not develop acute kidney injury at a clinically significant higher rate than other patients.
Thursday, September 29, 2016 - KIDNEY SOCIETY PARTNERS WITH US GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT DIALYSIS INFECTIONS
The Nephrologists Transforming Dialysis Safety (NTDS) Project aims to safeguard dialysis patients from potentially deadly infections. The American Society of Nephrology is partnering with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement the project.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016 - American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week 2016: Reinventing Nephrology: From Molecule to Man
The world’s largest gathering of kidney health professionals will join forces in Chicago from November 15–20, 2016, to discuss research discoveries and how to move them from bench to bedside during the American Society of Nephrology’s (ASN) Kidney Week 2016.
Friday, September 16, 2016 - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY AND US FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION RELEASES PODCAST ABOUT DISPARITIES IN CLINICAL TRIALS
The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is pleased to announce its latest ASN Kidney News podcast is now available for free download on its website. The podcast explores the topic of disparities in clinical trials with a focus on why it is a problem as well as various programs and potential solutions to improve diversity.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016 - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY FOUNDATION FOR KIDNEY RESEARCH ANNOUNCES 2016 GRANT RECIPIENTS
The ASN Foundation for Kidney Research provides more than $3 million in funding for clinical and basic research for members at all stages of their careers.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016 - The American Society of Nephrology Peer-Reviewed Journals Retain High Impact Factor
Washington, DC (June 16, 2016)—The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) retains a very prominent position in the field of nephrology in Impact Factor for 2015, with a score of 8.5 according to Journal Citation Reports® (JCR). This Impact Factors reflects the average annual number of citations in 2015 to articles published in a journal during 2013 and 2014.
Thursday, June 16, 2016 - CERTAIN FACTORS AFFECT VITAMIN D LEVELS IN CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
Two-thirds of the children with kidney disease were classified as vitamin D deficient. Children with kidney disease who took vitamin D supplements had vitamin D levels that were 2 times higher than those who did not take supplements. Certain genetic variants were also associated with vitamin D levels.
Friday, June 10, 2016 - INTESTINAL CALCIUM ABSORPTION MAY IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS AT RISK OF DEVELOPING KIDNEY STONES
Absorption and excretion of calcium were faster in certain patients with a history of kidney stones.
Friday, June 3, 2016 - ASN, ERA-EDTA and ISN Declaration of Collaboration
Today three major nephrology societies — the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the European Renal Association – European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA), and the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) ― signed a declaration of collaboration. The organizations agreed that kidney disease is a global challenge that respects no boundaries or borders. Therefore, all available synergies should be used to fight kidney disease and improve the standard of care for kidney patients worldwide.
Monday, May 30, 2016 - GENETIC VARIANT MAY HELP PREDICT RISK OF KIDNEY DAMAGE AFTER HEART SURGERY
A common genetic variant that is present in approximately 40% of Caucasian individuals was linked with an increased risk of kidney damage after heart surgery. The variant results in decreased expression of a gene involved in maintaining iron balance in the body.
Friday, May 27, 2016 - GUT BACTERIA MAY CONTRIBUTE TO POOR HEALTH IN PATIENTS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE
In patients with chronic kidney disease, those with more advanced disease had higher blood levels of the bacterial metabolite phenylacetylglutamine. Patients with high phenylacetylglutamine had an elevated risk of developing cardiovascular disease as well as a heightened risk of dying prematurely.
Friday, May 20, 2016 - SIMPLE PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION MAY PREVENT CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
Kidney function remained unchanged among hypertensive adults in communities assigned to a public health intervention for general practitioners and community health workers, whereas kidney function significantly declined among those who received usual care. Individuals in the communities with the intervention were half as likely as other individuals to experience a >20% decline in kidney function within 5 years after the intervention was stopped.
Friday, May 13, 2016 - SCREENING STRATEGY IDENTIFIES ADULTS AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING KIDNEY DISEASE
SCREENING STRATEGY IDENTIFIES ADULTS AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING KIDNEY DISEASE
Friday, May 13, 2016 - SMARTPHONE-BASED SYSTEM MAY IMPROVE HEALTH OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES
A smartphone-based system helped patients with chronic kidney disease monitor their blood pressure, symptoms, and medications. The system also alerted patients’ physicians about medication errors and other potential harms.
Friday, May 6, 2016 - KIDNEY DISEASE MAY INCREASE HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS’ RISK OF COMPLICATIONS
In a study of hospitalized patients, those with chronic kidney disease were 19% more likely to experience hospital acquired complications than patients with normal kidney function. There was a graded relation between the risk of complications and kidney disease severity.
Friday, May 6, 2016 - Climate Change May Contribute To Rising Rates of Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease that is not associated with traditional risk factors appears to be increasing in rural hot communities as worldwide temperature progressively rises. The condition has likely increased due to global warming and an increase in extreme heat waves, and it is having a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations.
Friday, April 29, 2016 - Female Hormones May Make Women Less Susceptible To Kidney Failure than Men
Researchers detected transient increases in enzymes indicative of kidney health that correlated with specific phases of the female reproductive hormone cycle. The findings indicate that nonreproductive organs may undergo periodical adaptations phased by menstrual cycle–driven hormone changes.
Friday, April 22, 2016 - Blood Pressure Targets for Individuals with Kidney Disease Should Consider Patients’ Age
Systolic blood pressure levels above 140 mmHg were linked with higher risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and death in patients with chronic kidney disease of all ages, but the magnitude of these associations diminished with more advanced age. Diastolic blood pressure levels below 70 mmHg were associated with a higher risk of death, but otherwise they showed no association with cardiovascular outcomes.
Friday, April 15, 2016 - Commonly Used Reflux and Ulcer Medication May Cause Serious Kidney Damage
Patients who took proton pump inhibitors for heartburn, acid reflux, or ulcers had an increased risk of kidney function decline, chronic kidney disease, and kidney failure. The longer patients took the drugs, the greater their risk.
Friday, April 8, 2016 - HPV Vaccine May Be Effective in Adolescents with Kidney Disease, But Less So in Those with A Kidney Transplant
Following vaccination against human papillomavirus, girls and young women with chronic kidney disease and those on dialysis had antibody levels above the threshold that indicates protection from infection. A significant proportion of patients with kidney transplants showed evidence of an inadequate antibody response to the vaccine.
Friday, April 1, 2016 - Kidneys Have an Innate Clock That Affects Many Metabolic Processes in the Body
Daily fluctuations caused by the kidney’s circadian clock have an important effect on the levels of various amino acids, lipids, and other components of blood in the body. In individuals who take medications, the kidney’s circadian clock controls drug elimination from the body and therefore can influence the duration of a drug’s action and the effectiveness of the therapy.
Friday, April 1, 2016 - Blacks Face A Higher Risk Of Kidney Failure Than Whites, Regardless Of Genetics
Over nearly 25 years of follow-up, blacks had a higher risk of hypertension, diabetes, and kidney failure than whites, after adjustments. Most blacks with gene variants that have been linked to kidney disease experienced kidney function decline similar to blacks without the variants.
Friday, March 4, 2016 - Cells Collected From Preterm Infants’ Urine May Advance Regenerative Kidney Repair
Urine collected from preterm infants one day after birth often contains progenitor cells that can develop into mature kidney cells. The cells also have natural defenses that protect against cell death.
Friday, February 26, 2016 - Have Changes In The Use Of Anemia Drugs Affected Dialysis Patients’ Risk Of Stroke And Heart Attack?
A new study examines whether recent changes in the use of anemia drugs for patients on dialysis have decreased the risk of stroke and heart attack. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), indicate that these risks appear to be decreasing for all patients, and determining the role of changes to anemia drug prescriptions will require more research.
Friday, February 19, 2016 - The History of Hemodialysis Sheds Light on the Ethical Use of Limited Medical Resources
As medical research continues to generate new technologies and drugs for a wide variety of uses, many questions arise regarding how such resources should be used and who should have access to them. These questions are especially pertinent as society strives to address rising healthcare costs and consider responsible distribution of limited healthcare dollars. A paper appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN) addresses these questions, using the history of hemodialysis as a guide.
Friday, February 5, 2016 - Racial Disparities In Kidney Transplant Outcomes Are Narrowing
From 1990 to 2012, disparities in health outcomes lessened between black and white kidney transplant recipients, including those who received live donor kidney transplants and those who received deceased donor kidney transplants.
Friday, January 29, 2016 - Mitochondrial DNA Levels in the Blood May Predict Risk of Developing Chronic Kidney Disease
High levels of mitochondrial DNA in the blood was linked with a 25% reduced risk of developing chronic kidney disease compared with low levels.
Friday, January 15, 2016 - Low Blood Levels Of Bicarbonate Linked To Earlier Death In Healthy Older Adults
Generally healthy older individuals with normal or high bicarbonate levels in the blood had a similar risk of dying during follow-up, but patients with low bicarbonate had a 24% increased risk compared with these groups.
Friday, January 8, 2016