AAKP News of the
Month: Order Your Artwork Greeting Cards!
AAKP is proud to announce the winners of the 2010 AAKP Artwork Contest. The winners are:
1st place-Nellie Ferrante (dialysis patient)
2nd place-Melody Kirby (caregiver and transplant donor)
3rd place-Mary Mitchell (dialysis patient)
Visit the AAKP website to view the winners. The selected pieces of artwork are available as all-occasion greeting cards. Cards come in packs of 12 and are $20 per pack. To order, call AAKP at (800)749-2257 or send an email to info@aakp.org. | |
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| Take Charge of Your Healthcare with
My Health™ |  |
AAKP My Health™ now offers new features to help users take charge of their health care. Users can now:
· Receive appointment reminders by email
· Print emergency contact cards AAKP My Health™ is a free, unique section of the AAKP website, www.aakp.org, that provides you with online tools to be the leader in your healthcare. With AAKP My Health™, you can:
· Track your lab results
· Log your medications
· List your healthcare team members
· Prepare information for doctor visits
· Test your kidney knowledge
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| Why Spouses of Dialysis Patients Get Kidney Disease Too | A shared home environment and similar health habits may help explain why spouses of kidney dialysis patients are at increased risk for developing kidney disease, according to a new study. Researchers found the risk of developing chronic kidney disease for spouses of hemodialysis patients is just about as high as it is for blood relatives of these patients. The researchers looked at the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in 95 spouses and 196 first and second degree relatives of 178 dialysis patients. They found CKD was much more common among the spouses and relatives of the patients than in a control group of people who weren't married or related to dialysis patients.
Compared to the control group, the spouses of dialysis patients had higher rates of smoking, use of herbal medicines and painkillers, and high blood pressure. The researchers also found that diabetes was a significant risk factor for chronic kidney disease in the spouses of dialysis patients. Diabetes can be caused by obesity and poor health habits. The study is published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. |
| Follow AAKP on Twitter! |
Kidney patients, health care providers and friends of the kidney community can now follow AAKP on Twitter. Twitter is a free service that allows users to post short messages, or Tweets, that are delivered to friends, customers, colleagues - anyone who has subscribed. The Association is using this communication tool to inform and educate patients and supporters on the happenings within AAKP and the kidney community. AAKP also hopes to grow its network of supporters and friends. To follow AAKP on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/KidneyPatients. The first 100 followers will receive a free pillbox and a $10 discount of an annual AAKP Premiere Membership. |
| Peritoneal Dialysis May Offer Better Quality of Life to the Elderly |
 A recent study suggests more older patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) should be educated about peritoneal dialysis (PD) and the potential benefits it may offer over hemodialysis (HD). The study is one of the first to compare HD and PD outcomes in the elderly. Previously published studies have shown patients age 65 and older are less likely to start on PD than younger patients. Researchers compared health-related quality of life (QoL) for older patients on PD and HD and explored factors affecting patient decision-making and factors affecting patient choice.
PD patients scored significantly better on quality of life assessments compared to HD patients. This difference was due to HD patients experiencing significantly greater intrusion of their illness and/or their treatment on their health and diet compared to patients on PD. The most common dialysis-related symptoms (dry mouth, dizziness, headaches, unsteadiness, taste changes) were less common in PD patients compared with HD patients, although leg swelling was more common in PD. Elderly patients can learn how to do PD and it gives the more independence.According to the study, physicians need to look at many factors when deciding on dialysis modality for ESRD patients age 65 and older, such as physical and cognitive function, nutritional status, depression, social isolation, vision and hearing issues, and social support. |
| Annual Convention Registration Now Open! |
 Registration for AAKP's 37th Annual Convention is now open! The Convention is held Sept. 2 - 4, in Tampa, FL, at the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. The Convention features educational tracks specifically designed for chronic kidney disease (CKD), ESRD (dialysis) and transplant patients.
Full Convention packages include 3 days of educational sessions, a souvenir t-shirt, tote bag, tickets to social events and meals and admission to the Exhibit Hall.
For more information about registering for the 2010 Annual Convention, please contact AAKP at (800) 749-AAKP or visit the AAKP website. You may also download the registration brochure online. |
| Cut the Salt and Ditch the Drugs, Controlling Blood Pressure in Dialysis Patients | | For kidney patients trying to control their blood pressure, reducing fluid build-up in the blood is more effective than using antihypertensive medications, according to an article in the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The research suggests lowering salt intake may help reduce build-up. Dry-weight is a kidney disease patient's weight immediately after dialysis, when he or she does not carry the excess fluid that builds up between dialysis treatments. Dry-weight is the lowest weight one can safely reach after dialysis without developing symptoms of low blood pressure such as cramping, which can occur when too much fluid is removed. If a patient lets too much fluid build up between sessions, it is harder to get down to a proper dry-weight. Achieving and maintaining dry-weight can improve blood pressure between dialysis sessions and limit hospitalizations, and is an effective strategy in controlling and maintaining blood pressure control among hypertensive patients on dialysis. Researchers also discovered that restricting salt intake can help control blood pressure and make it easier for patients to get down to a proper dry-weight. The results suggest salt restriction and dry-weight reduction together provide more benefits to the heart than antihypertensive medications. |
| Clinical Trial for Lupus Patients with Kidney Disease | | The National Institutes of Health has funded a new $3.35 million research study to identify genes responsible for ESRD in lupus patients. Investigators from multiple universities nationwide are recruiting Lupus/ESRD patients for this study, including Ohio State University, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Florida, Wake Forest University, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, Medical University of South Carolina, Northwestern University, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and others.
Participation in this study is voluntary and confidential. A recruiter will sit down with you to review the goals of the study and the consent process. He or she will ask you to answer a few questions about your disease and treatment, and you will be asked to provide a blood sample. Your participation will help further understanding of the causes of kidney damage in lupus patients and help other patients. If you wish to learn more about this study or learn how to get involved, please contact lupusresearch@uab.edu or call 877-965-8787. |
| American Red Cross Launches Open Shelter Locator Map | | The American Red Cross (ARC) has launched their new online locator for open shelters. This is a Google map that is automatically updated every 30 minutes with open shelter locations and population information from ARC chapters around the country. This means you can search for the nearest open shelter at any time. ARC has thousands of possible shelter locations around the country and this map will now allow anyone to find shelters that are currently open because of an emergency situation. Visit the map at http://www.redcross.org/nss and save the website in your list of favorites! |
| Living Kidney Donors Network Offers Free Workshop | | The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan and the Living Kidney Donors Network (LKDN) have teamed up to bring you an important educational and communications training workshop. This Workshop educates people who need, or will need a kidney transplant so they understand the facts about living donation and have the skills to effectively communicate the information to others. The benefits of a kidney from a living donor, as opposed to one from a deceased donor, are indisputable. If you are apprehensive about talking to others about your situation, or would like to learn more about pursuing a living donor kidney transplant, this Workshop is for you!
The workshop is being held on Tuesday, June 22 from 6:00 - 8:30 pm at 1169 Oak Valley Dr., Ann Arbor, MI. Class size is limited so please register by calling 312-473-3772. For more information on the workshop, please go to www.lkdn.org or email workshop@lkdn.org. |
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