Research

New Lancet Kidney Campaign Update highlights the issue of obesity and overweight populations in Latin America

In 2014, more than 300 million adults in Latin America, were overweight. Of these more than 100 million were obese. However, obesity is preventable. Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. In 2014, about 39% (2.0 billion) of the world’s adult population (38% of men and 40%...

The snake bite effect on Myanmar’s renal patients

As a recent guest of Professor Khin Maung Htay at Yangon’s Thingangyun San Pya Hospital and Yangon Specialist Hospital, I was exposed to how snake bites are a major health concern in Myanmar, especially for kidney patients. In 2012, there were almost 14,000 reported snake bites in Myanmar, 2% were fatal. Last year, out of...

New Lancet Kidney Campaign Update puts forward advice for CKD patients during Ramadan

During the holy month of Ramadan, the majority of health care professionals wonder what advice to give Muslim patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In our most recent Lancet Kidney Campaign Update, Mona Alrukhaimi examines the topic and reviews the main concerns and best recommendations. We hope you enjoy this update and stay tuned for...

Cochrane Library: Corticosteroids for nephrotic syndrome in children

In its continued partnership with Cochrane Kidney and Transplant, ISN Education is pleased to announce that the spoken podcast for the Cochrane Library is now available in Russian. You can now find out more about corticosteroid therapy for nephrotic syndrome on ISN Education. This Cochrane Kidney and Transplant review from 2015 evaluates how corticosteroids treatment...

iNET-CKD: a successful example of international partnership

This blog post is provided by Paula Orlandi, Naohiko Fujii, Lisa Nessel, Harold I. Feldman. The International Network for Chronic Kidney Disease Cohort Studies (iNET-CKD) links chronic kidney disease (CKD) cohorts from all over the world to promote research on this rapidly growing public health issue. It is supported by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN)...

ISN and Elsevier announces the launch of Kidney International Reports

ISN, the global medical society devoted to advancing kidney care worldwide and Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical, and medical information products and services, have announced the launch of Kidney International Reports (KI Reports). This new bi-monthly, open access journal will publish leading research and developments related to kidney disease. Led by Editor-in-Chief Jai Radhakrishnan,...

Worldwide kidney transplantation – striking a balance

In 2014, there were about 80,000 kidney transplants from living and deceased donors globally. Deceased donation has increased, especially from donors after circulatory death. This group makes up more than 40% of deceased kidney transplantation activities in the Netherlands. It is also growing signifi cantly in Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United...

Limited access to dialysis: not just in Africa

A dialysis patient referred me to this article from The Atlantic. Published in 2010 but still worth reading. The ISN is all about closing gaps in the provision of kidney care worldwide, but when we think of "gaps", we tend to think of emerging countries, places in Africa or the poorest parts of Asia and Latin...

KI Reports now accepting submissions

Kidney International Reports, an official journal of the International Society of Nephrology, is a peer-reviewed, open access journal devoted to the publication of leading research and developments related to kidney disease. With the primary aim of contributing to improved care of patients with kidney disease, the journal will publish original clinical and select translational articles...

New review study identifies barriers to access to care for acute kidney injury in sub-Saharan Africa

Access to diagnosis and dialysis for acute kidney injury can be life-saving, but can be prohibitively expensive in low-income settings. The burden of acute kidney injury in sub-Saharan Africa is presumably high but remains unknown. The authors of this study did a systematic review to assess outcomes of acute kidney injury in sub-Saharan Africa...

The influence of diet on kidney stones

Having discussed the influence of lifestyle modification on prevention of chronic kidney disease in previous columns extensively, I will now turn my attention to its effect on prevention of kidney stones. Almost five percent of adults in the US suffer from kidney stones, with more than half having multiple recurrences. Patients end up in...

Recent study shows how transplant donation rates vary across Europe

Rates of Chronic Kidney Disease vary considerably across Europe, from 3% to 17% of the population, and are increasing. Demand for kidneys almost always exceeds possible supply, and each country manages transplants differently. A new survey, being presented at the European Association of Urology (EAU) congress in Munich, has shown significant differences in the...

STOP KIDNEY DISEASE INITIATIVE – Prevention is the only cure

According to the data released by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week, the prevalence of obesity in the United States is at an all time high. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a metric used by organizations worldwide to define and classify severity of obesity. A recent study involving 3.38 million veterans with normal...

New Cochrane Library released: Corticosteroids for nephrotic syndrome in children

In partnership with Cochrane Kidney and Transplant, ISN Education is pleased to present new Cochrane Library materials on Corticosteroids for nephrotic syndrome in children. This Cochrane review evaluates how corticosteroids treatment might be safely and most effectively used to treat steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome in children. Find out more, HERE. In addition to this publication on ISN Education, the full Cochcrane review...

ISN Forefronts: The metabolome and microbiome connection

Kumar Sharma shares his views on the theme of the ISN Forefronts symposium - the interaction of the metabolome and microbiome and its link to kidney disease. San Diego is the location of the first of two* ISN Forefronts Symposia in 2016. The city is the bed of much fundamental knowledge on metabolites that has led to many breakthroughs in...

Vascular access symposium and workshop in Kuwait

The Kuwait Nephrology Association organized a two-day symposium and workshop on vascular access in Kuwait. The workshop was planned as an initiative by ISN’s Middle East Regional Board and the Interventional Nephrology Committee to improve dialysis access care in the Middle East. The key objective of the meeting was to start a formal dialogue between...

Nature Reviews Nephrology: Now only available via subscription

Starting January 2016, online access to Nature Reviews Nephrology (NRN) is no longer available to ISN members. Kidney International now includes a new section called Nephrology Digest, replacing access to NRN and presenting summaries and commentary on recently published basic science and clinical investigations. By logging into the ISN Member Portal, ISN Members can sign...

Germany-Belarus: A multidisciplinary approach to studying nephrology

This blog post is provided by Kirill Komissarov at the Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education in Minsk, Belarus. Fellows from the Charite Clinic University Clinic in Berlin, Germany spent a month with two fellows from the Minsk center thanks to an ISN Sister Renal Center partnership. Local medical professionals Aliaksandra Hashchuk is an intensivist and...

Forefronts symposium – covering the hot topics in nephrology

The most recent ISN Forefronts meeting in Shenzhen, China succeeded yet again to spark discussion about some of the most talked about issues in nephrology. Gathering the world’s experts and professionals from kidney-related fields. Hypertension and vascular disease are both causes and consequences of chronic kidney disease (CKD), connecting heart and kidney, and high morbidity...

Joint support for more research into hydration and kidney health

We raise awareness about drinking plenty of water to keep our kidneys in shape. However, hydration and kidney health is an important research area that needs more support worldwide. A collaboration between ISN and Danone Nutricia Research, the Hydration for Kidney Health (H4KH) research initiative sets out to expand new data sources. By engaging new...