| AAKP News of the Month: 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 AAKP 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. |
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| Join AAKP! |
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| Switching Immunosuppressants Reduces Cancer Risk |
| Transplant recipients need to continue treatment with immunosuppressants to prevent organ rejection. These medications can have a number of side effects, one of which is the development of cancer. A new study shows switching to a newer type of immunosuppressant drug may reduce the high rate of skin cancer after kidney transplantation.
The new class of immunosuppressants are called mTOR inhibitors. The study included kidney transplant patients who previously had skin cancer, placing them at higher risk of new skin cancers. Researchers found patients who switched to the new drug had a significantly lower rate of new skin cancers. |
| Group Chats Increase Loved Ones' Willingness to Donate |
| Kidney transplantation from a living donor is the best treatment option for most patients with kidney failure. However, living donation is often overlooked because family members and friends are not aware they could be potential donors and patients are reluctant or embarrassed to asked their loved ones for a kidney. Researchers in the Netherlands developed an intervention to address these issues.
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Submit Your Entry for the AAKP Artwork Contest
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AAKP is pleased to host an Artwork Contest in honor of the upcoming National Kidney Month (March). The goal of this artwork contest is to allow individuals to demonstrate, through their artwork, how kidney disease has affected them and help raise awareness of this chronic disease.
Artwork must be submitted by February 26, 2010 to be eligible. Artwork is publicly judged during National Kidney Month and will be displayed on the AAKP Web site from March 15 - April 15. Winners are announced in April. Entries must adhere to the contest/artwork guidelines and be accompanied by an official entry form.
The top three selected pieces of artwork will be turned into all occasion greeting cards and be offered by AAKP as an Association fundraiser. Winners will receive a complimentary pack of their artwork greeting card along with an award certificate for their accomplishments. Please contact AAKP at (800) 749-2257 or info@aakp.org for questions. | |
| Heart Test Found Safe for Pre-Transplant Kidney Patients |
 A screening test that measures whether a patient's heart is healthy enough for a kidney transplant is not as dangerous as once thought. The test, called a coronary angiography, uses dye and x-rays to show the inside of the heart's arteries and can help determine when to schedule a patient for transplantation. It has been thought chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have an increased risk of complications from the procedure. The findings, appearing in the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology ( CJASN), indicate the test does not cause a decline in kidney function for patients with advanced CKD. |
| Donor Race May Impact Kidney Transplant Survival |
According to a study by Henry Ford Hospital, the race of kidney donors may affect the survival rates of transplant recipients. Researchers found transplant between races had better outcomes than transplant across races. Non-black recipients who received a kidney from black donors had a significantly lower survival rate compared to those who received a kidney from a non-black donor. While the results are statistically significant, lead author Dr. Anita Patel points out that the life-giving benefits of receiving a transplant are greater than the statistical difference in survival rates. |
| Contribute to AAKP When You Shop Online |
 Please make every gift count this holiday season. More than 1,300 top stores including Amazon, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Apple, Gap and more will donate a percentage of virtually every sale to AAKP when you shop using GoodShop.com.
Just go to GoodShop.com, designate AAKP as the cause you support and then click over to your favorite store. You pay nothing extra - and you can even save money as GoodShop lists thousands of money-saving coupons and free shipping offers.
Or, add our toolbar to your browser at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar - and your purchases will count even if you forget to go to GoodShop first! There's no easier way to support AAKP this holiday season! Please spread the word! | |
 Astellas Pharma US, Inc. is proud to sponsor this edition of Kidney Transplant Today. | |
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