| AAKP News of the Month: Still Time to Register for the Next HealthLine Call!
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Join AAKP Wednesday, November 4 for the AAKP HealthLine call, Anemia: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment Options. The call will be lead by Russell Silverstein, MD, FACP, FASN, and Tejas Desai, MD. The two physicians will define anemia, review signs and symptoms of anemia and go over its treatment options.
To register for this HealthLine call, please contact AAKP at (800) 749-2257 or register online. |
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| Crucial to Get on Transplant Waiting List Early |
| Thousands of kidney patients in the United States start dialysis without first being told of kidney transplants that would be cheaper and lead to longer lives. Kidney transplantation adds an average of 10 years to a patient's life and costs the Medicare program $50,000 less per patient than dialysis treatment. Patients start dialysis when their kidney function goes below 15 percent. Federal transplant rules allow patients to be placed on the waiting list when their kidney function is at 20 percent. Although there are currently not enough organs for everyone to receive one, being informed of transplant options allows patients to seek out living kidney donors such as relatives or friends. |
| New Anti-Rejection Drug Effective and More Affordable |
 A newer, less expensive drug used to suppress the immune system and prevent organ rejection in kidney and pancreas transplant patients works just as well as its much more expensive counterpart. The new drug, alemtuzumab, is marketed under the name CampathTM. The more commonly used ThymoglobulinTM costs about four times as much. Both drugs destroy the cells that cause organ rejection. The two year study done at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center found both drugs are equally effective and safe. The results appear in the journal Transplantation. |
Call for Convention Topics and Speakers Bureau Applications
The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is pleased to announce its 37th Annual Convention will be held in Tampa, Fla., September 2 - 4, 2010. AAKP is seeking individuals interested in telling their story to serve on its Speakers Bureau for the 2010 Annual Convention. Patients, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and transplant recipients, caregivers and health care professionals are encouraged to apply. For consideration, please complete the Speakers Bureau application by April 30, 2010.
In addition, AAKP is also seeking educational session topics and/or presentations for the 2010 Convention. AAKP is requesting presentations on topics such as living with CKD, dialysis therapy options, the kidney transplantation waiting list, diet and nutrition, and legislative issues. Patients, health care professionals and companies/organizations are encouraged to submit ideas. Applications are due by February 26, 2010.
To submit your application to be a part of the AAKP Speakers Bureau or submit topic ideas/presentations for the 2010 AAKP National Convention, please visit www.aakp.org/events/convention/2010. For more information about the American Association of Kidney Patients and its National Convention, please call (800) 749-2257. | |
| Pregnancy and Birth Safe for Women with Kidney Transplants |
 Women who have received a kidney transplant and have good kidney function can get pregnant and give birth without jeopardizing their health or the health of their transplant. Researchers compared women who gave birth after receiving their kidney transplant with transplant recipients who did not have children. They found no differences in kidney function or patient survival 20 years after the transplant. The study appears in the Journal of the American Society Nephrology ( JASN). |
| Join the AAKP Survey Panel |
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AAKP invites patients, family members, health care professionals and individuals with a concern for kidney disease to join its Survey Panel. The AAKP Survey Panel's purpose is to assist with the understanding of kidney disease and its impact on the day to day lives of individuals affected by reduced renal function.
The Survey Panel will ask you a few general questions and then asks your permission to contact you in the future regarding detailed topics, such as prescription costs, insurance benefits, treatment options, etc. Joining the AAKP Survey Panel is FREE and as a member your input can influence the products and services offered to kidney patients and their family members.
For more information, visit the AAKP Web site or call (800) 749-2257. |
| Extended Antiviral May Benefit Transplant Recipients |
A longer period of preventive treatment after transplant can help reduce the risk of infection by a virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV). CMV is a common virus and rarely causes problems in healthy individuals. In kidney transplant patients CMV infection can cause serious problems. Most CMV cases in transplant patients occur soon after the end of preventive treatment.
Dr. Fu Luan of the University of Michigan found patients who were treated with the antiviral for six months had an infection rate that was half that of those who received the treatment for only three months. The study found the longer treatment is also cost-effective. It is cheaper in the long run to prevent infections that could be very costly. |
| Transplant Tourism - It's No Vacation |
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Organ tourism is becoming more popular in developing countries. Patients desperate for a new kidney are heading overseas hoping to bypass the long waiting period for a transplant in the U.S. However, many aren't aware of the potential risks. Read more about transplant tourism in the November issue of aakpRENALIFE.
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| Contribute to AAKP When You Shop Online |
 Here's an easy way to raise money for the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP). Every time you shop online at your favorite stores you could be saving money and earning a donation for AAKP.
Our new toolbar, developed by GoodSearch & GoodShop, takes just a few seconds to download. More than 1,300 tops stores including Apple, Best Buy, Gap, PetSmart, and Staples are pitching in and will donate a percentage of each sale to AAKP. The GoodSearch toolbar also includes a search box which is powered by Yahoo. Each time you search the web, about a penny is donated to AAKP!
There's no easier way to help AAKP. Please spread the word!
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 Astellas Pharma US, Inc. is proud to sponsor this edition of Kidney Transplant Today. | |
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