AAKP News of the
Month:
Get Your Free Copy of The Iron Story!
An updated version of the popular patient education brochure, The Iron Story, is now available. This brochure provides information, specifically for dialysis patients, regarding the importance of iron, as well as the effects of having too little iron in the body. In addition, it describes anemia and how it affects the kidneys. The Iron Story discusses the importance of intravenous (IV) iron usage and the role of erythropoietin stimulating agent (ESA) to keep blood count high and prevent anemia.
The Iron Story is FREE to patients and health care workers. To receive a copy, contact AAKP at (800) 749-2257 or info@aakp.org. The brochure can also be downloaded from the AAKP website. A Spanish version of The Iron Story can also be downloaded from the AAKP website. The brochure is made possible by an educational grant from Fresenius Medical Care North America. |
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| New Stent Improves Ability To Keep Vessels Open |
 Kidney dialysis patients often need repeated procedures, such as balloon angioplasty, to open blood vessels that become blocked or narrowed at the point where dialysis machines connect to the body. These blockages can impact the effectiveness of hemodialysis. A new FDA-approved stent graft can keep these access points open longer, reducing the number of procedures these patients may need, according to research appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers found that using this new stent for dialysis patients whose access grafts have become narrowed improves graft function. It also clearly reduces the need for repeated invasive procedures and interruption of dialysis. This can translate into cost savings and improved quality of life for patients, who already spend about nine to 12 hours a week in dialysis. Researchers hope the new stent means grafts could last for years in dialysis patients, instead of months. |
| Call for AAKP Board of Directors Nominations |
AAKP is currently accepting nominations for the 2010-2011 National Board of Directors. The elections are held in July, with new members seated at AAKP's Annual Convention in September. Board members serve two-year terms. The deadline to submit nominations is May 21, 2010.
The AAKP Board of Directors is responsible for establishing goals and policies for the Association. Board members must attend three meetings each year, participate in conference calls and committee membership. For more information about the AAKP Board of Directors or to request a nomination form, please contact AAKP at (800) 749-AAKP or visit the AAKP website to download the nomination form. Self nominations are encouraged. |
| Fatigue May Predict Heart Attack in Dialysis Patients |
For dialysis patients, high scores on a new fatigue rating scale predict an increased risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular problems. Fatigue could be an important warning sign of serious cardiovascular issues especially in patients without other obvious risk factors. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms experienced by dialysis patients. Researchers evaluated a fatigue questionnaire in a group of 788 dialysis patients. About 16 percent of the dialysis patients had a high fatigue score. Researchers followed up with patients after two years and found patients with high fatigue scores were more than twice as likely to have cardiovascular events such as a heart attack or stroke. |
| Vitamin D Deficiency Likely Among Patients Starting Dialysis |
Vitamin D deficiency is almost universal among kidney disease patients who have low blood protein levels and who start dialysis during the winter, according to a new study. The research identifies a group of patients who are at extremely high risk of being deficient in vitamin D and provides some clues as to why the deficiency occurs in these individuals. Researchers looked at data from 908 patients in the Accelerated Mortality on Renal Replacement (ArMORR) cohort, a nationally representative group of U.S. dialysis patients.
The researchers found 79 percent of the study population was vitamin D deficient. Black race, female sex, winter season and low blood levels of the protein albumin were the strongest predictors of vitamin D deficiency. The presence of low blood albumin levels and winter season increased the likelihood of vitamin D deficiency. The study appears in the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). |
| AAKP National Convention Update! |
 The AAKP 37th Annual Convention is in sunny Tampa, Fla., September 2-4, 2010, at the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. The Annual Convention provides kidney disease patients, as well as their friends and family members, with the opportunity to discuss their concerns and share their experiences while learning about important issues affecting their health care. The Convention will feature three tracks of educational sessions: chronic kidney disease (CKD), dialysis and transplantation.
Topics for educational sessions include:
- The Great Debate - Compensation for Organ Donation: How Much Is Too Much?
- Guided Imaginary: Visualizing Good Health
- Living Life to the Fullest: A Survivorship Panel
- and much more!
Room rates start at just $110 per night. Visit the AAKP website for updated information or contact us at (800) 749-2257 or info@aakp.org. |
| Nocturnal Hemodialysis Superior for Lowering Phosphate Levels |
| Patients who undergo nocturnal hemodialysis (NHD) experience significant decreases in serum phosphate compared with patients on conventional hemodialysis (HD), despite a reduction in the use of phosphate binders, according to Canadian researchers. In a six-month study, researchers randomized 26 patients to receive NHD (dialyzing six to 10 hours per night for five or six nights) and 25 patients to continue receiving conventional HD (dialyzing three times a week). They also adjusted oral phosphate binders and vitamin D to maintain phosphate, calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels.
During the course of the study, serum phosphate levels decreased by an average of 0.49 mmol/L in the NHD group compared with the conventional HD patients. The beneficial effects of NHD on serum phosphate and calcium levels raise the possibility that NHD may have a positive effect on cardiovascular health. | |
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