Since it is Mental Health Awareness Week, we thought it would be a good time to talk about how having chronic kidney disease can affect your mental health. My name is Chris and I am one of the patient experts on CKDExplained. I am also a mental health first-aider at my workplace and training to […]
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PD dialysis catheter survival: a single centre study Key Point. In a recent Spanish study of 146 patients (Rodrigues, 2023), PD catheter survival rates over 12, 24 and 36 months were 80%, 72% and 62%, respectively. Why is this important? Timely insertion and management of peritoneal dialysis catheter complications are crucial for the success of
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Transplant Diaries … countdown to surgery Nicola was 38 years old when she received her kidney transplant in December 2019. In an extract from her transplant diaries, these are some of her memories of the journey before … I was lucky all my family offered to donate a kidney to me, siblings, parents, husband –
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Comparison of different β-blocker tablets and mortality in haemodialysis patients In a recent study by Toye 2024, different β-blocker tablets were compared. Why is this important? Despite a lack of research studies, β-blockers (a type of blood pressure tablet) are widely prescribed to dialysis patients. Whether specific β-blockers are associated with improved long-term outcomes compared
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My Mum is on Dialysis. Daniel’s Story. Daniel’s birth in 1993 was highly anticipated by the renal staff at Nottingham City Hospital. Until then, it was unheard of for an existing dialysis patient to successfully conceive and sustain a pregnancy. Daniel was the first baby, worldwide, born to a dialysis patient. “My earliest memory was
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Lupus kidney disease: new hope with belimumab? Living with lupus-related kidney disease (called ‘lupus nephritis’) is tough. Zhang, 2023, have recently analysed research trials on Belimumab, a promising new medication, that might be a game-changer in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus). Why is this important? Belimumab has recently been added to the range of
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Association between plant-based diet and kidney function in adults In a recent study by Moloudpour, 2023, a plant-based diet was investigated in CKD patients. Why is this important? A plant-based diet has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, it is hypothesised that adherence to a plant-based diet may have a positive effect on kidney function. The
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How to convert NHS (and social care) in England to a (Dutch-style) NHSS (National Health and Social Service) Key Points The NHS is performing poorly – in almost all parts of its work, despite record levels of funding. Minor change will no longer make any difference More money, staff and beds will make no difference.
Do you prefer to see a female doctor? Will this affect the quality of your care? Perhaps. Read on UCLA recently published a study in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine which suggested that female doctors tend to have patients with lower mortality rates. The rates published in the journal varied between female and male
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Black people wait 10 months longer for kidney transplants in UK Black patients wait ten months longer on average for organ transplants than the general population, NHS data shows. The best match comes from someone of the same ethnicity – but only 2% of donors in 2021/22 were black, while black people are 4% of
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