Active clinical trials for "Kidney Diseases"

This observational trial will examine the efficacy and safety of Mircera for renal anemia in participants with stage III-IV CKD in daily clinical practice. Mircera will be prescribed by treating physician and followed for approximately 36 months.

Aim of this study is to determine in chronic kidney disease patients: the involvement of malnutrition inflammation and atherogenesis syndrome (increase in C reactive protein and decrease in serum albumin) on voluntary muscle strength impairment the relationship between voluntary muscle strength and muscle mass the relationship between voluntary muscle strength and lean body mass the correlation between voluntary muscle strength and physical activity

Patients with failed kidneys need Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) to remove fluid and toxins from the body. The 3 types of RRT are kidney transplant or removal of waste by dialysis, either via the blood (haemodialysis) or via the stomach area (peritoneal dialysis). 27,000 patients currently receive dialysis in the UK and some endure reduced quality-of-life, depression, and thinking and memory difficulties. Some of these symptoms reflect undiagnosed dementia. Indeed up to 7/10 dialysis patients suffer moderate to severe brain impairment or dementia - much more frequently than in the general population. This study will assess brain function just before starting dialysis/transplant and at 3 and 12 months afterwards with face to face assessments and with brain scans in some patients. Changes in brain function will be compared between people treated with the different forms of dialysis and transplant. The Investigators hope to evaluate whether these tests are acceptable to patients, whether affected sub-groups with cognitive impairment can be identified early, and if certain dialysis methods are better for patients with cognitive impairment/dementia, so that a larger study to try to improve brain function after RRT can be developed.

A single-centre, prospective, observational study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Polyclonal Antibodies in simultaneous Pancreas Kidney Transplant recipients.

Background: In 2010, approximately 39000 Canadians had end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and the prevalence rate of dialysis has increased by 189% over the past 2 decades. The annual mortality rate remains high at ~15%, and cardiovascular events are the leading cause of death. Intensification of conventional dialysis schedules has been the major focus in recent years. Currently, most Canadian dialysis patients receive conventional in-center hemodialysis (CHD), which is administered as a 3-4 hour session 3/week. Recent research has focused on home nocturnal hemodialysis (8 hours of hemodialysis at home for 5-6 nights/week), which may have substantial cardiovascular benefits, including regression of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, improved LV ejection fraction and enhanced blood pressure control. Nevertheless, this dialysis modality is only feasible in a highly selected minority of ESRD patients who can self-manage their dialysis treatment at home. In-center nocturnal hemodialysis (INHD), administered as 7-8 hours of hemodialysis in hospital for 3nights/week, represents a promising and practical alternative for many dialysis patients. In a Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) supported cohort study, the investigators have recruited 67 patients and have completed 1-year follow-up. There is a compelling need for longer-term follow-up, since all the published randomized controlled trials are of short duration (6-12 months), while renal replacement therapy is a life-long treatment. Furthermore, the observed large variability of cardiac remodeling in individual ESRD patients remains poorly understood. Therefore, the current study is an extended follow-up phase (5 years from enrollment) on the completed 1-year follow-up period and the purpose of this study is to objectively evaluate the long-term effects of more intensified hemodialysis treatment which the INHD modality offers. Need for Long-term and Generalizable Data: In contrast to the seminal Alberta trial which showed a significant LV mass reduction with home nocturnal hemodialysis, the recently reported Frequent Hemodialysis Network Nocturnal Trial demonstrated only a trend toward reduction in LV mass. It is likely that the highly selected participants, inadequate trial power and duration (12 months) account for the observed results. Currently, it is unknown whether INHD, which is less intensive but more feasible for most ESRD patients, is associated with similar cardiovascular benefits in the long term. Objective: To determine the long-term effects of INHD on (i) LV mass; (ii) global and regional LV systolic and diastolic function; (iii) myocardial tissue characteristics; (iv) left atrial structure and function; (v) selected cardiovascular biomarkers in ESRD patients. To examine the determinants and mechanisms of cardiac remodeling in ESRD Hypothesis: Conversion to INHD is associated with sustained improvements in cardiovascular structure and function, as compared to conventional hemodialysis (CHD) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Study Design and Population: This will be a 2-centre, prospective, longitudinal cohort study of 67 adult ESRD patients (INHD subjects and CHD controls) enrolled in the original study. All eligible participants who provide consent will undergo cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination and bloodwork at 5 years since enrollment in the study. Other follow-up procedures include the following -electrocardiogram, transthoracic echocardiogram, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, lateral x-ray of the aorta, and completion of questionnaires. Outcome: The primary endpoint is the change in LV mass over 5 years, as measured by cardiac MRI. Secondary endpoints include LV size, global and regional diastolic and systolic function, left atrial size and function, changes in myocardial tissue characteristics, blood pressure, serum troponin, norepinephrine, Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP), high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6, matrix metalloproteinases, fibroblast growth factor-23, fetuin-A, transforming growth factor-beta, connective tissue growth factor, clinical events, and quality of life. Significance: The provision of an enhanced dialysis regimen has emerged as the most promising avenue through which to modify the dismal cardiovascular outcomes in patients receiving chronic hemodialysis. INHD represents a means of administering such therapy to a broad spectrum of dialysis patients for whom home therapies would not be feasible. This study will be the first to precisely define the long-term cardiac effects of intensified dialysis and to elucidate the mechanisms of cardiac remodeling in ESRD, using cardiac MRI and other novel biomarkers. These important observational findings may have a major impact on the optimal management and outcome of ESRD patients in the real world.

The purpose of this study is to explore the relative importance of the frailty and cardiovascular function as potential exercise-modifiable risk factors for falling in patients receiving haemodialysis.

This study investigates the effects of intravenous (IV) iron sucrose therapy on blood levels of Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 (FGF23, a protein that regulates the amount of phosphate in the body) in iron deficiency anemia in healthy participants, participants with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF, where the heart does not pump adequate blood supply to the body), participants with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD, where the kidney function is reduced), and participants with CKD and CHF.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients often have associated systemic hypertension due to volume retention, as one of the mechanisms, therefore the use of diuretics is widespread in this population. One of the major complications of CKD is mineral and bone metabolism disorder (CKD-MBD), which include changes in the levels of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D deficiency, increased circulating levels of fibroblast growth factor (FGF-23) and parathyroid hormone (PTH). These alterations are responsible for fractures, cardiovascular disease and mortality among patients with CKD. According to diuretic mechanism of action, sometimes increasing serum calcium (in the case of furosemide), sometimes decreasing it (in the case of thiazide), it is expected that the serum calcium may be altered, even within the range of normality, with consequent impact on the levels of PTH. Although most studies have shown that the use of thiazide diuretics decreases the risk of fractures, some showed the opposite. Similarly, although most studies have shown increased risk of fracture in association to loop diuretics use, some have failed in demonstrated this outcome. Only one study, a cohort study in a population of CKD, showed that furosemide was directly related to increased calciuria and PTH levels and the use of thiazide, in turn, showed completely opposite effect. However, certain issues are still not completely solved, for example, the interference of renal function itself on calciuria. It is possible that calciuria is not a so simple explanation that justifies the PTH levels changes, as no correlation was seen between calciuria and PTH levels. Better understanding of the exact relationship between the use of diuretics and the impact on CKD-MBD may be an alternative intervention, easily accessible and relatively inexpensive. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of diuretic, specifically hydrochlorothiazide and furosemide, on bone architecture and mineral metabolism.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects between 5-10% of the world's population, equating to ~740 million people worldwide. End stage renal disease (ESRD) is the result of a progressive loss of kidney function where the patient requires dialysis to replace the typical functions of the kidney. The quality of life of these individuals can be poor as a result of various complications associated with CKD (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, muscle wastage, decreased fitness). In an attempt to combat reduced physical fitness, many studies have applied long term exercise programmes. However, the body's response to exercise in people with CKD is not well understood and a set of guidelines that informs safe and effective exercise prescription is lacking.

People living with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) need dialysis or transplantation in order to stay alive. This illness and treatment significantly impact peoples' health, emotions, work and relationships. To promote person-centred care, healthcare professionals should be asking patients about what matters to them and using this feedback to plan and deliver care. Patient-reported outcome and experience questionnaires (jointly referred to as PROs) allow patients to provide information about their quality of life, symptoms and experiences with care. PROs are increasingly used to help healthcare professionals learn about what is important to patients and the impacts of illness or treatments from patients' point of view. Embedding feedback from patients into routine clinical practice is important in end-stage kidney disease because of the physical and quality of life challenges these patients face when living with kidney failure. PROs provide vital and often missing information that the healthcare team can use to support patients. However, PROs administered via paper questionnaires have been perceived as cumbersome, difficult to integrate with other health information and do not provide immediate feedback. In this research, home dialysis patients will have the opportunity to complete electronically administered PROs (ePROs) and healthcare professionals will receive education about how to use PRO information. The goal is to learn how to support healthcare professionals to routinely use this information to inform patient care, and see if this makes a difference in patients' symptoms, person-centred care, quality of life and satisfaction with care. Learning what matters most to patients is essential for healthcare professionals to provide person-centred care. This research will address the gap in our understanding of how to best use patients' reports in healthcare. Findings of this research may ultimately improve the quality of healthcare for Canadians living with end-stage kidney disease.