Active clinical trials for "Kidney Failure, Chronic"

The objective of this study is to characterize the hormonal and inflammatory responses to hemodialysis, and to determine the effect of a meal versus fast on the metabolic changes in the post-dialytic phase.

This is a randomized trial with participants recruited from one dialysis unit of a Brazilian university hospital. Hemodialysis patients were assigned to receive the resistance exercise combined with an aerobic training or the resistance training alone for a period of 10 weeks. The functional performance of patients was assessed before and after the intervention through the six-minute walk test (6MWT). The difference over time of the 6MWT was compared between the groups through multivariate linear regression. Thirteen patients were allocated for each group of intervention. The difference in distance walked before and after intervention in the combined training group was of +39.7 (61.4) meters, and this difference in the resistance training group was of -19.2 (53.9) meters, p=0.01. In multivariate analysis with adjustment for age, skin color, gender, hematocrit, time since starting dialysis, Kt/V and baseline values of 6MWT, the type of training remained significantly associated with the amount of increase in walked distance. Although the best protocol of exercise for patients on dialysis is not yet clear, in the investigators sample of hemodialysis patients the combination of aerobic and resistance training was more effective to improve functional performance.

Compared with chronic dialysis treatment, kidney transplantation generally offers a longer life span, a better quality of life, and lower health care costs for the over 500,000 Americans with End Stage Renal Disease. Despite Medicare funding of virtually all kidney transplants, minority, female, and poor patients with End Stage Renal Disease have decreased access to kidney transplantation. In prior work, the investigators identified the steps in the transplant process that are responsible for creating these disparities. These include medical suitability, interest in receiving a transplant, referral to a transplant center for a pre-transplant workup, placement on a waiting list or identification of a living donor, and receipt of a kidney from a deceased or living donor. The investigators now propose to train transplant recipients to act as transplant navigators and then test the value of using transplant navigators to help patients and providers complete these steps. The proposed community-based randomized controlled trial will involve approximately 75-100 adult hemodialysis patients at intervention dialysis facilities and approximately 75-100 patients at control facilities to compare a transplant navigator intervention with usual care over a 24 month interval. Baseline evaluation will include sociodemographic and medical characteristics, specific steps completed in the transplant process, and barriers to moving forward in the transplant process. At periodic intervals, the navigator will provide tailored information and assistance to patients and their nephrologists to help them complete the tasks required at each step. The major outcome will be completion of additional steps in the transplant process. Secondary analyses will examine impediments to successful intervention among subjects who fail to move forward in the transplant process despite assistance from a navigator. The proposed project will test a novel intervention that targets patients and nephrologists as they together make transplant-related decisions. Future work will involve determining the impact of navigators on disparities in transplant rates, examining the cost-effectiveness of transplant navigators, and disseminating the intervention for use across the country. Helping patients complete steps in the transplant process may lead not only to improved access to kidney transplantation but also to better patient survival, decreased health care costs, and increased quality of life.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the anabolic potentials of insulin may be used to reverse the catabolic effects of hemodialysis in non-diabetic patients with end-stage renal failure.

Ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is the major cause of early renal dysfunction and acute renal failure of the transplanted kidney after renal transplantation. In 1986, Murry et al. described the phenomenon "ischemic preconditioning". Also, it was reported that a few non-ischemic stimuli could provide cellular tolerance against major ischemia through a mechanism similar to ischemic preconditioning. In an animal study, 1 minimal alveolar concentration of volatile anesthetics - a clinically relevant concentration - was reported to have a protective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury, the effect being variable between types of anesthetics. Also, there were somm reports that intravenous anesthetics such as propofol could reduce IR injury by decreasing oxidative stress and apoptosis. By reducing the ischemia/reperfusion injury of the grafted kidney, the morbidity and mortality related to renal transplantation can be reduced as well. The objective of this study is to find out whether, according to the type of anesthetics (Desflurane vs. Propofol), there is a difference in the protective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury of the grafted kidney in patients receiving renal transplantation.

Tacrolimus (Prograf) belongs to a class of medications known as the calcineurin inhibitors. It is a maintenance drug that is used to prevent rejection in kidney, liver, and heart transplant recipients. Calcineurin inhibitors display high pharmacokinetic (the body's effects on a drug) variability and necessitate use of blood tests to ensure that adequate drug levels are present to maintain effectiveness and safety. Early after transplant or at times when tacrolimus cannot be taken by mouth, alternative routes of administration are sought. Although an intravenous (through the vein) product is available, it can be toxic to the kidneys and has been associated with allergic reactions. Drug delivery via the oral mucosa is an alternative method of systemic drug administration which offers an alternative when oral administration is impractical (gastrointestinal dysmotility, reduced drug absorption, intestinal failure, difficulty in swallowing, or in those with nausea or vomiting). Administration of tacrolimus by the sublingual route may allow for direct entry into the systemic circulation and bypasses problems associated with drug absorption and breakdown that take place in the small intestine.

This study is to examine the safety of daptomycin in patients with End Stage Renal Disease.

With this study the investigators will test, in a randomised clinical trial (RCT), the efficacy of a behavioral dietary adherence enhancement intervention paired with PDA-based dietary self-monitoring for controlling sodium intake. Seventy hemodialysis patients will be recruited from units in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Participants will be randomized to a 4-month PDA-based dietary counseling intervention or to a 4-month attention control. Potential participants will be stratified by whether or not they have diabetes. Data on primary and secondary outcomes will be obtained at baseline and four months. Primary dependent variables are: adherence to dietary sodium targets as assessed from 3-day food recalls, average monthly interdialytic weight gain, and average pulse pressure. Secondary dependent variables are: adherence to dietary targets for calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats, saturated fats, potassium, and phosphorus, as assessed from 3-day food recalls, (5) serum potassium and phosphorus levels determined on a monthly basis, and (6) nutritional status as determined from serum albumin. Laboratory data, interdialytic weight gain, and blood pressure data will be obtained per dialysis center routine and abstracted from the medical record. Three-day food recalls will be obtained at baseline, 4 and 8 months and analyzed using the Nutrient Data System.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether psychological intervention is effective in improving quality of life, mood, and relationships among adults with end-stage renal disease who are awaiting kidney transplantation.

This study will evaluate how a common dietary sugar (fructose) raises blood fats (triglycerides). We will determine whether the production of fat from fructose is higher in dialysis patients compared to healthy volunteers. Dialysis patients have high levels of hormone-like substances called cytokines that may increase blood fats. The results will help set better guidelines for diets for the general population and patients with kidney disease who are at high risk for heart attack and stroke. There will be one or two outpatient screening visit(s) and a one-week (6 nights) stay at the Rockefeller University Hospital.