Patients With Obesity and Kidney Failure May Be Newly Eligible for Kidney Transplants

A collaborative study between a bariatric and transplant surgery team has introduced new hope for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are also struggling with obesity. The study authors explored the outcomes of metabolic and bariatric surgery in ESRD patients and whether the surgery can improve their eligibility for kidney transplants. The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY COMMENDS CONGRESS FOR HIGHLIGHTING THE HONOR OUR LIVING DONORS ACT (H.R. 6020)

At a hearing today focused on supporting patients with rare diseases, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee will consider Honor Our Living Donors Act (H.R. 6020), legislation to improve support for living organ donors.

New Cedars-Sinai Study Pinpoints Why Some Injured Kidneys Do Not Heal

Cedars-Sinai investigators have discovered why some injured kidneys heal while others develop scarring that can lead to kidney failure. Their findings, detailed in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Science, could lead to the development of noninvasive tests to detect kidney scarring and, eventually, new therapies to reverse the condition.

Growing number of states provide coverage for outpatient hemodialysis for undocumented immigrants

A brief research report has found that, due to increased advocacy and awareness of outcomes, a growing number of states have implemented policies that provide statewide coverage for undocumented persons with kidney failure to receive outpatient hemodialysis. The report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Three Kidney Transplants, Weight Gain and a Journey Back to Wellness

Rowena Roque, 46, was having a problem that many people can relate to: doing everything in her power to lose weight and get healthy but never succeeding.

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).

New Score Measures Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Kidney Failure

Highlights
• The results of a new study support the validity of a score that considers various patient-reported outcome measures and preferences for assessing health-related quality of life in individuals with kidney failure.
• The score is calculated from assessments of cognitive function, depression, fatigue, pain interference, physical functioning, sleep disturbance, and ability to participate in social roles

Disparities in COVID-19 Rates among Adults with Kidney Failure in New York City

• Among adults with kidney failure undergoing hemodialysis in New York City, Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to develop symptomatic COVID-19 than White patients.
• Neighborhood-level social vulnerability factors were associated with COVID-19 incidence among White patients, but these factors did not explain racial/ethnic disparities.

Aerobic Exercise May Help Address Dialysis-Related Symptoms in Patients with Kidney Failure

• An analysis of published clinical trials suggests that aerobic exercise lessens several hemodialysis-related symptoms, including restless leg syndrome, symptoms of depression, muscle cramping, and fatigue.
• More research, with more diverse patients, is needed to determine the extent of benefits from aerobic exercise for individuals with kidney failure who are undergoing dialysis.

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY CALLS ON BIDEN- HARRIS ADMINISTRATION TO INCREASE TRANSPLANT AVAILABILITY AND EQUITY

— The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) re- affirms its supporti for the Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) Conditions for Coverage final rule issued on November 20, 2020. The society calls for the Biden-Harris administration to implement this final policy as expediently as possible. By bringing objective and verifiable standards to assess the performance of OPOs, this final rule will increase the number of organs available for transplant and reduce racial inequity in the U.S. transplant system.

Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple Performs 1000th HoLEP Procedure That Improves Men’s Quality of Life

In mid-October, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple conducted its 1000th holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), a minimally invasive procedure that can address benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH can prevent the bladder from emptying properly and could lead to kidney damage or failure. It also impacts quality of life in about one third of men older than 50 years old.

KIDNEY HEALTH INITIATIVE URGES THE ACCELERATION OF HOME THERAPY TECHNOLOGY IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID-19)

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the vulnerability of people with kidney failure who rely on in-center hemodialysis. People with kidney failure are at high risk of severe COVID-19 complications and are exposed to infection due to a kidney replacement therapy process that requires traveling to a dialysis facility multiple times a week.

Sedative Drug in Combination with Opioids May Be Especially Dangerous

• In an analysis of information on US adults initiating hemodialysis, 16% of patients were dispensed a short-acting benzodiazepine, and approximately one-quarter of these patients were also dispensed opioids.
• Among patients with an opioid prescription, being dispensed a short-acting benzodiazepine had a 1.9-fold higher risk of dying over a median follow-up of 16 months compared with patients without a short-acting benzodiazepine.

HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE DRUG COVERAGE, A KEY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY OF AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY

Washington, DC (January 8, 2020) — The House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Wednesday, January 8, on the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2019, advancing a long-standing legislative priority of the American Society of Nephrology.

Careful Monitoring of Children Following Cardiac Surgery May Improve Long-Term Outcomes

In a medical records study covering thousands of children, a U.S.-Canadian team led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine concludes that while surgery to correct congenital heart disease (CHD) within 10 years after birth may restore young hearts to healthy function, it also may be associated with an increased risk of death and kidney failure within a few months or years after surgery.