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Immediately after transplantation, patients should minimize or avoid using certain anti-rejection drugs.

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Clinicians can monitor kidney function with a simple equation.

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1) High blood levels of the hormone FGF-23 warn of heart problems, need for dialysis, and early death among chronic kidney disease patients. 2) Tests for FGF-23 could identified those at risk. 3) 60 million people globally have chronic kidney disease, and most die from heart-related problems.

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1) African Americans are four times more likely to develop kidney failure than whites; 2) Excreting protein in the urine contributes to this increased risk; 3) Therapies that reduce protein excretion may prevent or delay kidney failure.

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1) People with metabolic syndrome have a 55% increased risk of developing kidney problems; 2) Approximately 34% of US adults have metabolic syndrome; 3) Approximately 60 million people globally have chronic kidney disease. Early detection and prevention of kidney disease is the only way to prevent kidney failure.

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1) A minocycline-EDTA solution prevents bacterial infections in the catheters of dialysis patients; 2) Multicenter, randomized, controlled trial compared minocycline-EDTA with heparin as catheter solutions; 3) Catheter-related infections present major challenges in dialysis care; infections represent the second leading cause of death in dialysis patients.

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1) Dialysis patients depend on technology to stay alive, so are very vulnerable after disasters; 2) Dialysis patients of all ages, races, and education and income levels lack disaster preparedness; 3) More than 300,000 patients in the United States undergo dialysis, and their care is in jeopardy during a disaster.

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1) One dose produced antibodies in 81.8% of healthy controls, but only 41.8% of transplant patients and 33.3% of dialysis patients; 2) These special groups probably need two doses of the vaccine, say authors.

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1) Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with high blood phosphate levels develop kidney dysfunction or kidney failure faster than patients with low blood phosphate levels; 2) High blood phosphate interferes with important kidney medications; 3) Nearly 17% of the adult U.S. population has CKD; effective treatment is crucial to prevent kidney failure.

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Heart disease causes 35% of deaths in young adults with chronic kidney disease Children with only mildly impaired kidney function experience poor growth, delayed puberty, metabolic problems, and high blood pressure. Treating these conditions during childhood might slow kidney disease and prevent heart-related deaths in young adults.

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Markers may also transform how kidney disease is diagnosed •Kidney injury is a frequent and serious complication of heart surgery •Three proteins predict which patients will likely develop kidney injury after surgery in adults and children •High risk patients may benefit from kidney protective therapies

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Combination of two immunosuppressive drugs led to less organ rejection, better organ health after transplant

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Inexpensive test could help prevent kidney failure and early death.

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1) Patients’ own kidney cells can be reprogrammed and used as therapy against kidney disease; 2) Cells can easily be collected from the urine; 3) 88,000 patients are waiting for a kidney transplant in the United States, and they wait for an average of 3 to 5 years.

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ASN President Dr. Joseph V. Bonventre, MD, PhD, spoke at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting, 71st Scientific Session, this June in San Diego. Dr. Bonventre was featured at a symposium entitled “New Concepts in Diagnosing and Treating Diabetic Nephropathy.” The event was the first in a series of joint symposia to be presented by the American Society of Nephrology and the American Diabetes Association.

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In a series of videos produced by the American Society of Nephrology, a physician and a social media expert from the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media discuss how physicians, researchers and patients can use current social media tools to benefit their patients, themselves and their organizations.

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Many patients on dialysis may not understand medical information critical to their wellbeing, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that clinicians must understand and address the limited health literacy of patients with kidney disease.

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Kidney disease affects 1 in 9 US adults, and by 2020 more than 750,000 Americans will be on dialysis or awaiting kidney transplant. Despite this growing health problem, every year fewer US medical students adopt nephrology as a career, according to a review appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

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Many patients on dialysis may not understand medical information critical to their wellbeing, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that clinicians must understand and address the limited health literacy of patients with kidney disease.

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Getting vaccinated against the flu lowers kidney transplant recipients’ risk of organ loss and death, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that concerns about the safety of the influenza vaccine in transplant recipients are unwarranted.

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The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drug, ramipril, is particularly effective in lowering the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in obese patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and linked with heart disease in the very elderly, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

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Patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) typically have a higher early survival rate than patients on hemodialysis (HD). New data suggest that this difference may be explained by a higher risk of early deaths among patients undergoing HD with central venous catheters, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

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Taking a statin before having major elective surgery reduces potentially serious kidney complications, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

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Kidney transplant recipients who develop antibodies in response to receiving new organs can develop accelerated arteriosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the kidney, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results indicate that arteriosclerosis resulting from such donor-specific antibodies may play an important role in organ rejection following transplantation.

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For dialysis patients, performing daily dialysis at home can help alleviate sleep problems related to restless legs syndrome (RLS), according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). RLS, a common and troublesome problem for dialysis patients, affects hemodialysis patients about four times as often as people in the general population.

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Depression is associated with an increased risk of developing kidney failure in the future, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). Approximately 10% of the US population will suffer from depression at some point during their lifetime.

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The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is pleased to join the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF), and other kidney-related organizations worldwide in recognizing the fifth annual World Kidney Day (WKD) on Thursday, March 10. ASN leaders will visit Capitol Hill and meet with members of Congress to advocate on behalf of patients with kidney disease.

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Low physical activity increases kidney transplant patients’ likelihood of dying early, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that patients need to exercise to fend off an early death.

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Not all racial and ethnic groups have equal access to kidney transplantation, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results indicate that the reasons for these disparities are varied and that more focused efforts are needed to address them.

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High radiation doses put a significant number of dialysis patients at increased risk of cancer, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that clinicians should consider scaling back on radiation for purposes of diagnosis in this patient population.

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Despite significant advances in kidney care over the past 20 years, efforts to improve therapy for type 1 diabetes patients with kidney dysfunction remain unsuccessful, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that more effective therapies are needed for these patients.

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The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) strongly opposes the proposed $1.6 billion reduction to the NIH budget included in the continuing resolution (fiscal year 2011) being debated in the House of Representatives. The nation’s longstanding commitment to better health has established the United States as a world leader in medical research and innovation. This leading position will be endangered should the 5.2 percent decrease in the NIH budget be implemented.

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The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) recently launched the first mobile edition of its news magazine, ASN Kidney News. ASN Kidney News highlights emerging trends in kidney health and disease.

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The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) supports the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, which include advising Americans to reduce their daily salt intake.

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Significant disparities exist between the race of kidney disease patients and that of the physicians who will care for them, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that efforts are needed to increase minority recruitment into kidney specialty programs to more closely balance the racial background of physicians and patients.

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Mutations in a gene called INF2 are by far the most common cause of a dominantly inherited condition that leads to kidney failure, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results may help with screening, prevention, and therapy.

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Routine mammograms performed for breast cancer screening could serve another purpose as well: detecting calcifications in the blood vessels of patients with advanced kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

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Patients returning to dialysis after kidney transplant failure present unique challenges compared with other dialysis patients: they have been exposed to very powerful immunosuppressive medications and have been on dialysis for a longer period of time than other dialysis patients. This puts them at particularly high risk for various complications and death. According to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN), despite complications, these patients can choose to undergo dialysis in the comfort of their own homes.

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The abnormal heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation, is increasingly common in patients on dialysis and is linked to a sharp rise in death, in an already at-risk population, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

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Among older adults with a recent heart attack (myocardial infarction), those with lower levels of kidney function are less likely to take their medications as prescribed, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

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Most primary care physicians (PCPs) and kidney specialists favor collaborative care for a patient with progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD), but their preferences on how and when to collaborate differ, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). PCPs and kidney specialists need to partner more effectively to optimize care for patients with CKD.

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Phosphorous levels plummet in kidney disease patients who stick to a vegetarian diet, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that eating vegetables rather than meat can help kidney disease patients avoid accumulating toxic levels of this mineral in their bodies.

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A protein implicated in the development of vascular diseases may also contribute to the failure of arteriovenous (AV) fistulas created for vascular access in dialysis patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

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An infrequently used blood test can effectively identify individuals at increased risk of developing complications associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). Use of this simple test might help physicians identify persons with CKD who are at high risk for complications, and identify persons with impaired kidney function at earlier stages of disease.

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Naturally occurring high hemoglobin levels are safe for kidney disease patients on dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results suggest that there is no need to lower these levels to protect patients’ health.

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Doctors often ask kidney disease patients on dialysis to limit the amount of phosphate they consume in their diets, but this does not help prolong their lives, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results even suggest that prescribing low phosphate diets may increase dialysis patients’ risk of premature death.

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The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) welcomed its new president, Joseph V. Bonventre, MD, PhD, FASN of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, as well as its new president-elect, Ronald J. Falk, MD, FASN, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, during its recent 43rd annual meeting, which was part of Renal Week 2010, in Denver, CO.

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A new drug called FG-2216 can stimulate production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) in dialysis patients—possibly offering a new approach to treatment of kidney disease-related anemia, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

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More and more people have become aware of the dangers of excessive fructose in diet. A new review on fructose in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) indicates just how dangerous this simple sugar may be.