About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 566 blog entries.

Improvements in Dialysis Care Are Outpacing Other Serious Chronic Disease Conditions – Including Cancer and Heart Failure

2024-03-28T20:59:25-04:00March 4th, 2019|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, eNews|

Improvements in dialysis care are outpacing outcomes for other chronic disease conditions, improvements that allow patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) to live longer lives – and yielding substantial savings to Medicare – according to a new fact sheet created from the health care consulting firm Discern Health, which analyzed United States Renal Data System (USRDS) data. An analysis of the USRDS data set by Discern Health reveals that, although ESRD patients are among the most complex and costly Medicare beneficiaries to treat, improvements in dialysis care have led to improvements that translate into larger gains in patient survival than other [...]

Get Your Sweat On! Exercising for Healthier Kidneys

2024-03-28T20:59:26-04:00March 1st, 2019|Categories: eNews, Physical Health, Webinar|

During the webinar, the following points will be covered: Background on the benefits of regular physical activity and exercise relating to kidney function. The impact current research is showing on exercising in helping to slow down kidney disease progression. Strategies for getting started with a new exercise routine, along with tips to keep you motivated! Presented by Collette Powers, MA, RDN, LDN, ACSM EP-C, Renal Dietitian

Two Therapies Found to Help Dialysis Patients with Depression

2024-03-28T20:59:27-04:00February 27th, 2019|Categories: eNews, Medication, Mental Health|

For almost 50 years, hemodialysis has extended lives of people with chronic kidney disease. But when a patient first learns that their kidneys have failed and dialysis is necessary to survive, it can be a jolting overture of mortality. These patients usually have lived for years with diabetes or hypertension – diseases onerous for their medication regimens and lifestyle constraints. Adding dialysis, a four-hour, thrice-weekly therapy, can easily push patients into depression if they don’t already have that diagnosis. With this backdrop, researchers report today that two treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy (counseling) and the drug sertraline, effectively reduce depression among people [...]

Growing Up On Dialysis

2024-03-28T20:59:28-04:00February 25th, 2019|Categories: Lifestyle, Pediatric Kidney Disease, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: |

By Julie Crandall, CBCS, CMAA, Patient Ambassador, DPC Education Center Board Member How was it to grow up with end-stage renal disease (ESRD)? Since I didn’t know any other way; for me, it was normal. I can tell you that in my case, my family was the most important people that helped me navigate childhood. It helped that they didn’t treat me like the ‘sick kid’ of the family; I was a daughter and a little sister. I didn’t know what to focus on for this article. It was difficult to narrow down my childhood with ESRD and dialysis to write [...]

Work Those Kidneys Out!

2024-03-28T20:59:29-04:00February 23rd, 2019|Categories: Early Intervention, Fact Sheet, Lifestyle, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|

By Collette Powers, MA, RDN, LDN, ACSM EP-C We have all heard it, and we all know it. We have been told from our doctor, a friend or a loved one. Whether it is for controlling high cholesterol, managing weight, reducing blood sugar or keeping our bodies healthy overall, we have all been told at some point we should exercise. But did you know exercise may help protect your kidneys too? Fatigue is a common struggle that many patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face. When we are tired, our instinct is to rest. However, over time, that “rest” can [...]

2018 Midterm Election Wrap-Up

2024-03-28T20:59:30-04:00February 22nd, 2019|Categories: The Kidney Citizen, Uncategorized|

By Megan Hashbarger, Director of Congressional and State Relations, Dialysis Patient Citizens This past November, America held its 2018 midterm elections. We call it a midterm election because it is held between the four-year cycle of Presidential elections and is often seen as a reflection of the country’s temperament towards the President’s agenda. This cycle saw big wins for Democrats but also some solid victories for Republicans. While Democrats picked up over 40 seats and retook the majority in the House, Republicans held on to and increased their majority in the Senate. The only thing clear now is that for at [...]

NIH Seeks Volunteers to Help Cure Diseases and Solve Health Problems

2024-03-28T20:59:33-04:00February 13th, 2019|Categories: eNews|Tags: |

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is looking for volunteers to participate in the All of Us program, which is a research initiative that tracks the health of U.S. participants. The initiative is not centered around a specific disease or population. Instead, it is intended to accelerate research and improve a large assortment of health conditions by evaluating the impact of lifestyle, environment and biological makeup on health and disease. Participants may elect to help by filling out surveys, sharing electronic health records, getting a physical, sharing fitness tracker data, providing blood and urine samples, and more. The hope is that [...]

When Your Parent is Sick: Tips for Children on Managing Feelings

2024-06-07T11:43:33-04:00February 11th, 2019|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, Mental Health, Pediatric Kidney Disease|

By Elizabeth Lewan, Communications & Grassroots Program Coordinator at the American Psychological Association Having a sick parent can be scary and stressful, especially if there are long hospital stays or physically intense treatments. Having a parent diagnosed with a serious health condition, like kidney disease, can seem especially frightening if you don’t know how it will affect your family. It is estimated that one in seven adults have chronic kidney disease.1 Your parents, doctors and family members can help you get through this tough time. Here are some tips to help you manage your feelings: Prepare for change. You may notice [...]

Become Heart Healthy This February

2024-03-28T20:59:36-04:00February 8th, 2019|Categories: eNews, What Causes Kidney Disease|

February is American Heart Month. Did you know heart disease is the leading cause of death for people with kidney disease? Furthermore, you are more likely to develop heart disease if you have kidney disease. You can make healthy changes to lower your risk of developing heart disease and kidney disease. Controlling and preventing risk factors is also important for people who already have these conditions. To lower your risk: Watch your weight Have your blood and urine checked Manage your blood glucose if you have diabetes Control your cholesterol Keep your blood pressure below 140/90 Be active for 30 minutes [...]

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