Active clinical trials for "Kidney Diseases"

Humans have cells in their blood stream called endothelial progenitor cells or EPCs. These are thought to be important in keeping blood vessels healthy. People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have low numbers of these cells. People with cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease also have low numbers. Patients with CKD have more cardiovascular disease then any other group.Erythropoietin is a hormone made by the kidneys. It is essential for making red blood cells and also activates EPCs. It is low in people with kidney disease. As part of your regular medical care for correcting your low red blood cell count, you will be receiving a medication that acts like erythropoietin. It is called darbepoetin. The purpose of this study is to see if darbepoetin treatment affects EPC numbers and function.

A clinical intervention will be performed in adult diabetic Pima Indians with proteinuria to determine if an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor is effective in slowing the progression of renal disease in persons with overt diabetic nephropathy attributable to type 2 diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The study will be conducted in the Gila River Indian Community and include proteinuric subjects selected from the Diabetic Renal Disease Study (DRDS; NIH Protocol Number 88-DK-79) in whom glomerular function has been measured at six-monthly intervals for the past 48 months. Twenty-five subjects (12 men, 13 women) aged 31-64 years are eligible for this study. These subjects all have urinary albumin-to-creatinine rations >=300 mg/g (equivalent to 300 mg albumin/day), serum creatinine concentrations < 3.0 mg/dl, and no evidence of nondiabetic renal diseases. Their GFR slopes average -0.49 ml/min/month (95% confidence interval, -0.91 to -0.07), and 11 of them (8 men, 3 women) are hypertensive (systolic blood pressure >=140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure >=90 mm Hg). Subjects will be treated with an ACE inhibitor, and measurements of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) will be made at six monthly intervals until the subjects' progress to renal failure. GFR slope (ml.min/month) will be computed, and the slope prior to the initiation of an ACE inhibitor will be compared with that obtained during treatment.

The purpose of this study is to determine if analysis of urine samples for specific markers can predict transplant rejection in people who have received kidney transplants.

Non-adherence with immunosuppressant drugs is a major reason for premature kidney transplant failure. Currently, patient education and compliance aids (e.g bubble packing) are commonly used to assist patients. This is a study involving patients expected to undergo a kidney transplant within 6 months. One group will undergo a one-month formal assessment of adherence before transplantation using mock immunosuppressant medication. Standardized surveys will also be administered to assess risk factors for non-adherence. A plan will be developed for use after the transplant. The other group will undergo usual care. Kidney function and rejection rates will be compared between two groups.

More than 80% of individuals in the U.S. start maintenance hemodialysis (HD) with a central venous catheter, despite substantial evidence that starting HD with an arteriovenous (AV) access improves quality of life, lowers mortality, and decreases healthcare costs. Health system- and patient-level barriers contribute to low rates of AV access creation prior to HD initiation. Evidence-based, pre-dialysis interventions to improve these low rates and associated clinical outcomes are lacking. A Vascular Access Navigation and Education Quality Improvement Program will be implemented in the Geisinger Danville, PA chronic kidney disease clinic. Individuals who choose to participate in a research sub-study of the program will complete questionnaires to assess their vascular access care knowledge and confidence before and after participation in the quality improvement program.

In this retrospective study, the serum levels of Bisphenol A (BPA) and three BPA analogs, namely, bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol S (BPS), and bisphenol F (BPF), in patients with CKD, patients on dialysis therapy and healthy control were investigated to find out if BPA and BPA analogs accumulates in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and if hemodialysis filters contribute to bisphenol burden in patients on hemodialysis (HD).

The Pathways Collaborative is the first attempt to implement supportive (palliative) kidney care at multiple sites in the United States. While supportive kidney care is growing in other countries, notably Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, it is not yet known how to integrate it into the unique nephrology environment in the United States. In Phase 1 of Pathways (completed), we developed an evidence-based change packet of 14 best practices for integrating supportive care practices into the continuum of care for patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD). In Phase 2 (described in this application), we will conduct a learning collaborative to help up to 15 dialysis and CKD centers implement these best practices. The learning collaborative is based on the IHI Collaborative Model for Achieving Breakthrough Improvement. This model is a tested systematic approach to quality improvement designed to help organizations close the gap between current and future practice based on evidence-based best practices. The Pathways Project faculty will work with up to 15 change teams at dialysis centers to create a system to identify seriously ill patients with kidney disease; conduct conversations with them so that their values, preferences, and goals for current and future medical treatment are known and respected; assess and address patients' physical, psychological and spiritual needs; and coordinate care throughout the healthcare system so patients receive only the care they want in settings in which they wish to be.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes symptoms and potential loss of independence. These effects are increased as the disease progress to endstage renal disease (ESRD), particularly when external intervention (i.e. dialysis) is used to keep these individuals alive. The combined effect of ESRD and its treatment has a significant impact on an individual's life, potentially causing reduced employment time, reduced social time and increased anxiety/stress. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact that CKD/ESRD have on an individual's life. Specifically, this study is focused on giving an insight into the psychosocial impact that CKD/ESRD and different forms of renal replacement therapy have upon these individuals.

In people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), the body does not make enough of a hormone called insulin or does not use insulin well. This results in high blood sugar levels. People with T2D are at a higher risk of having a condition called chronic kidney disease (CKD). In people with CKD, the kidneys become damaged and do not work as they should. People with CKD can have trouble breathing and often have swelling in their arms and legs, and high blood pressure. People who have CKD and T2D are more likely to have other medical problems, such as heart disease. There are many treatments available to patients who have CKD and T2D. But, researchers need more information about how doctors in Canada are deciding which treatment to give these patients. In this study, the researchers will review health information from men and women with T2D who visited a doctor in 2019 and had check-ups for at least 6 months. The health information will be taken from a Canadian registry (or database) owned by LMC Diabetes & Endocrinology. The registry contains information from people that went to an LMC clinic. In this study, the researchers will learn how many of these people had T2D and CKD. They will learn the treatments these people received, and if they had other related medical problems. The researchers will also use surveys to ask the doctors about why they chose certain treatments.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the commonest cause of chronic kidney disease, and proteinuria isn't determent factor for the end stage renal disease in diabetics. Apelin is adipokine and have a beneficial role in early prediction of diabetic nephropathy. Few studies were done about apelin in diabetes. Purpose of the study: to investigate the association between the apelinergic system and diabetic nephropathy.