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Basics of Chronic Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:05:11-04:00March 8th, 2016|Categories: Fact Sheet, Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Medication, Peritoneal Dialysis, Symptoms, The Kidney Citizen, What Causes Kidney Disease|

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), also called chronic kidney failure, describes the gradual loss of kidney function. Your kidneys filter wastes and excess fluids from your blood, which are then removed from your body in your urine. When CKD reaches an advanced stage, dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes and waste products can build up in your body and cause you harm. In the early stages of CKD, you may have few signs or symptoms, and may only be diagnosed with a blood and/or urine test. In fact, you may not feel sick from CKD up until most of your kidney function [...]

Basic Facts about Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:05:14-04:00March 8th, 2016|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Peritoneal Dialysis, What Is Kidney Disease|

Kidneys perform crucial functions within the body. When they fail there are only four treatment pathways available: Hemodialysis uses a dialyzer to act as an artificial kidney, peritoneal dialysis uses the body's own abdominal lining to filter wastes, a transplant comes from a living or deceased donor and palliative care is a strategy that aims to prevent stress and reduce pain at the end of life. Without hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or a transplant, individuals with failing kidneys will die. Hemodialysis (HD)—Cleansing a patient’s blood of harmful toxins and excess fluids through use of an artificial kidney (dialyzer) and hemodialysis machine. [...]

Report Identifies Positive News on Kidney Disease in the US, Yet Challenges Remain

2024-03-28T21:05:51-04:00February 2nd, 2016|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Dialysis, Early Intervention, eNews, Kidney Transplant, Stages of Kidney Disease|

The annual data report from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) reveals both positive and negative trends in kidney disease in the United States. Positive news includes fewer deaths among kidney patients and an increasing use of home dialysis treatments. Ongoing challenges include increasing medical costs for dialysis treatment and an overall increase in the size of the dialysis population. Highlights from the report include: Fewer deaths were reported among dialysis and kidney transplant patients in 2013, dropping by 28 percent and 40 percent, respectively, since 1996. Prevalence of end-stage kidney disease—the last stage of chronic kidney disease when the [...]

November Education Call Aims to Increase Diabetes Awareness

2024-03-28T21:06:04-04:00October 29th, 2015|Categories: Webinar, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

Diabetes is one of the primary causes of Chronic Kidney Disease. November is Diabetes Awareness month, which provides the perfect opportunity to further education on the disease and how it can affect your kidney health. Join us Monday, November 2 at 3:00 PM to hear a discussion on ways to manage diabetes to stay as healthy as possible. The call can be viewed online by visiting www.dpcedcenter.org/education-calls or by phone at 1-877-388-5186 conference code: 433-459-5474.

Report Links Hypertension Medication to Increased Likelihood of Fall Injuries

2024-03-28T21:06:09-04:00August 26th, 2015|Categories: eNews, Medication, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

A recent study finds that elderly patients can have an increased risk of falling after starting a blood pressure medication. Researchers at the University Medical Center in New York studied 90,000 Medicaid patients who experienced fall injuries. Data indicated that patients who began taking hypertension medication had a 36 percent increase in the likelihood of falling within two weeks. Those who were already on blood pressure drugs had a 16 percent chance of falling after starting a new class of medication. The report mirrors another study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, although data in Hypertension contradicts the findings. [...]

Are You Getting Enough High-Quality Sleep?

2024-03-28T21:06:14-04:00May 28th, 2015|Categories: Early Intervention, eNews, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Nutrition, Peritoneal Dialysis, Physical Health, What Causes Kidney Disease|

We all know that sleep is important, yet many of us never seem to get enough of it. The journal Sleep Review recently found that 67% of end-stage renal disease patients said they were impacted by sleep disorders that prevented them from getting enough sleep. These sleep disorders include periodic leg movement syndrome (PLMS), restless legs syndrome (RLS), insomnia and sleep apnea. Researchers from Monash University reported in the journal Renal Failure that lack of sleep, especially when coupled with chronic kidney disease, leads to hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, lower quality of life and shorter life expectancy. This leaves many kidney patients [...]

Celebrate World Kidney Month

2024-03-28T21:06:18-04:00March 30th, 2015|Categories: Early Intervention, eNews, Symptoms, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

The 10th anniversary of World Kidney Month is drawing to a close! The goal of World Kidney Month is to prevent kidney disease and related diseases from happening, since one adult out of 10 across the world currently has kidney disease. World Kidney Month aims to prevent kidney disease by educating people on the importance of their kidneys. It also aims to raise awareness of high blood pressure and diabetes, the most common causes of kidney disease. Because there are little to no symptoms of kidney disease, most people are not even aware that they have it until it reaches the later stages, [...]

Join Us In The Fight Against Kidney Disease!

2024-03-28T21:06:32-04:00March 19th, 2014|Categories: eNews, News & Events, What Is Kidney Disease|

Do you want to help make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans through kidney disease education? Join the DPC Education Center's first annual National Kidney Month Fundraising Drive! The DPC Education Center is making great strides toward becoming the leading resource for kidney patients, family members and members on the hill to learn about dialysis and chronic kidney disease. With only two weeks left in National Kidney Month, now is the time to help us continue to provide extensive resources to patients and families to help curb the spread of this debilitating illness. We have a great program to [...]

Low Blood Pressure – Hypotension

2024-03-28T21:06:55-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

By Dewayne Hasten, DPC Patient Ambassador, Hemodialysis Patient and Biomedical EngineerPatient to Patient: Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension) During Dialysis TreatmentsProtecting your accessYou are a hemodialysis patient, and you know the score. You arrive at the clinic for your treatment and go right to the scale, weigh yourself, and head to your chair. There are the usual pleasantries, the questions about your health since your last treatment, and your vital signs are checked.The nurse or technician then straps the blood pressure cuff on your arm and you hear the monitor start. You feel the cuff around your arm start to inflate. You [...]

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