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Why do I need my Parathyroid glands removed?

2023-09-08T12:42:34-04:00August 22nd, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Physical Health, Staying Healthy|

By V. Scantlebury, MD, FACS Chronic kidney disease is associated with phosphate retention due to a decrease in the ability of the kidneys to filter phosphate, especially as your kidney function falls below 25 ml/min. Once you start renal replacement therapy, there is an accumulation of phosphorus that is not removed by dialysis treatments. This occurs because of both decreased filtration and decreased excretion of phosphate in various areas of the kidney. High phosphate levels are a stimulus for hyperparathyroidism: the over secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) from the glands. There are usually four parathyroid glands located in the neck, all [...]

ESRD and COVID-19 VACCINATION

2023-07-12T12:41:01-04:00June 30th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Immunizations, Kidney Transplant, Physical Health, Staying Healthy|Tags: |

By V. Scantlebury, MD, FACS, DPC Education Center Healthcare Consultant Patients with ESRD have a reduced response to immunizations compared to the general population. This is because the response of their immune system is suppressed, leading to the inability to adequately form an antibody response or maintain antibody titers over time.  The low antibody response appears to be correlated with the degree of kidney failure. Despite the inadequate antibody response, getting vaccinated is still recommended and is most important for patients who are immunocompromised. Just as the annual influenza vaccine is updated every year to cover the most prominent strains of [...]

Fighting Back Against Implicit Bias in Health Care

2023-06-14T14:23:42-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Additional Resources, Mental Health, Physical Health, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

Tips for how to speak up and speak out against discrimination in a medical setting Kirsten Weir The receptionist requests two forms of identification from you, yet the White person in front of you required no identification to be verified. A nurse who uses a condescending tone of voice: “you people are all alike.” A doctor who doesn’t listen to you: Having just told the doctor you have knee problems, he recommended that you walk 30 minutes every day. Are they just having a bad day — or is it implicit bias? Implicit bias is an attitude or [...]

Four Things You Should Know About the New Medicare Dental Rule

2023-06-14T14:19:46-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Additional Resources, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|

Andrea Moore, LMSW, Health Equity Specialist, Quality Insights Renal Network 5 1. Before January 1, 2023, Medicare would pay for a dental exam only for patients who were actively seeking a kidney transplant. Now, the new Medicare dental rule will pay for a dental exam and dental treatment (e.g., dental filling, teeth removal, replacement of teeth, etc.) for patients actively seeking any organ transplant. If you are living with kidney disease--with or without dialysis--Medicare will not pay for preventative care, like teeth cleanings. What this means for you: If you have Medicare and are actively seeking transplant, meaning [...]

8 Ways to Be a Safe Patient

2023-06-14T14:08:23-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Immunizations, Medication, Physical Health, Resources, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

When you have surgery, receive dialysis, or visit your doctor, you deserve safe care. Everyone plays a role in patient safety and quality health care. CDC and its partners provide expertise, data, and programs for safe health care to support public health, healthcare workers, patients, and caregivers. How Can I Be a Safe Patient? Speak up. Talk to your healthcare provider about any questions or worries. Ask what they’re doing to protect you from infections. Keep hands clean. Make sure everyone, including friends and family, cleans their hands before touching you. If you don’t see your healthcare providers clean their [...]

A Career and Dialysis Become a Way of Life

2023-02-08T14:58:53-05:00February 1st, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, Employment, eNews, Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Physical Health|

By Gene Blankenship, DPC Board Member I was 42 years old when I crashed into dialysis, though my family obviously knew about my kidney disease. I also worked full time and so the next step was to tell my employer, OPEA. I cannot compliment my employer enough. From the second I told my Supervisor and our Executive Director it was, as the cool kids say, "cake". First words out of their collective mouths were "How can we help?'  My doctor and I had already discussed what I could do while still keeping my health a priority. This made [...]

COVID is Surging Again

2023-01-11T13:59:28-05:00January 4th, 2023|Categories: eNews, Immunizations, Physical Health|Tags: |

We are now at the end of the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic and once again in a winter surge. According to data from the CDC, hospitalizations have surpassed what was seen this past summer and for people 60 or older – the group most vulnerable to more severe infection, that number has drastically increased since mid-November. In part, this latest surge can be attributed to XBB.1.5, the latest Omicron subvariant, which has evolved to be better at evading immunity from both vaccination and previous infection. There are other factors that play into the surge though, including time of year [...]

Reducing Mortality Risk Through Physical Activity – Is There an Activity Pattern That is Best?

2022-12-06T16:28:18-05:00December 6th, 2022|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Physical Health, Staying Healthy|

Can you get the mortality risk reduction benefits being a “weekend warrior” instead of just regularly active? A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of four published cohort studies on the topic suggest just that. The four studies, published between 2004 and 2022, totaled 426,428 participants (weighted mean age, 44.5 years) and looked at the relationships between different physical activity patterns and the risk for adverse CVD outcomes. “Weekend warrior,” which is one or two sessions per week, “regularly active,” which is multiple sessions spread out over the week, and inactive were all looked at to see if weekend warrior and regularly [...]

Improving Pregnancy Outcomes for Women on Dialysis or with a Kidney Transplant

2022-12-07T13:02:51-05:00December 1st, 2022|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Kidney Transplant, Physical Health|

New research suggests that pregnancy outcomes are improving for women on dialysis or with a kidney transplant. Hayet Baouche, MPH, of APHP-Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, REIN Registry in Paris, France and colleagues reported in Clinical Kidney Journal that from 2010 – 2020, the frequency women on dialysis becoming pregnant increased. There was a decrease in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and polyhydramnios, as well as lower rates of neonatal and perinatal deaths compared to previous decades, likely attributed to advancements in obstetric and neonatal care, and progress in fetal monitoring and dialysis treatments. A systematic review of 14 retrospective and prospective studies [...]

The Case for Personalized Kidney Screening for People with Type 1 Diabetes

2022-11-09T09:05:58-05:00November 3rd, 2022|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, eNews, Physical Health|

A new analysis by the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications study group (funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health) makes a strong case for taking a more personalized approach to screening people with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) for kidney disease. New findings suggest that urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) could be personalized to individuals with T1D to decrease costs and increase the rate of early detection. People with T1D have about a 50% risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) over their lifetime; if individuals who are [...]

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