Kidney Failure, Chronic

It's been safer and healthier for chronic kidney disease patients TAICHUNG, March 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chronic Kidney Disease has become a new "national disease" in Taiwan, and the number of patients requiring hemodialysis is increasing. Traditionally, hemodialysis patients and accompanies require at least an hour spent on commuting, and that maybe even more time consuming for those who live in suburbs. Moreover, patients almost feel tired or fatigue and need rest half a day following hemodialysis. Since 2019 in Taiwan, China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) has initiated and implemented AI monitoring system for hemodialysis patients. The unique AI system receives the messages sent by the dialysis machine to keep track of any risk message with incorporated AI system, ensuring patient safety and collecting information for prescription adaptation. Accredited with CMUH's AI technology, those who require hemodialysis are not necessary to visit a healthcare facility for this routine. Dr. Huey-Liang Kuo, Director of Hemodialysis Center at CMUH, stated that patients have been heathier and safer to do hemodialysis at home. Continue Reading Home hemodialysis is associated with the best outcomes. The patient Mr. Lin now has better quality of life and no dietary restrictions. Hospital visits for dialysis is no longer a burden for him. Mr. Lin, a 62-year-old residing in a remote area of Taiwan, has been undergoing hemodialysis for thirty years. With reduced mobility, he faced the challenge of commuting for two hours every other day to receive his routine four-hour hemodialysis treatment. This rigorous schedule often left him feeling fatigued after each session. However, five years ago, Mr. Lin's situation took a positive turn when he enrolled in the Home Hemodialysis (HHD) training program at China Medical University Hospital (CMUH). Since committing to HHD in 2019, Mr. Lin has experienced a significant improvement in his quality of life. Today, he not only enjoys more time with his family but also remains energetic enough to successfully manage his own business. According to Dr. Kuo, HHD has been a choice of renal replacement therapy more than fifty years in some countries, but in Taiwan the general public has very limited knowledge about it. Dr. Kuo further explained, "patients and their family are concerned about the safety of doing it at home. It is worth to notice that patients may be given the option of HHD to avoid fatigue from traditional hemodialysis which has side effects on their work and daily life. "Approximately 12% of the Taiwanese, or about 2.86 million people, have Chronic Kidney Disease, and more than 80 thousand of these patients have progressed to end-stage kidney failure that require routine hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, with 90% selecting the former" stated Professor Chiu-Ching Huang of Nephrology Center at CMUH. With HHD, patients may be able to return to their jobs the following day, thereby enhancing their quality of life and minimizing the disruptions caused by hemodialysis schedules. Professor Huang further explained, "The tiredness following hemodialysis comes from ultrafiltration and osmotic imbalance, as hemodialysis in medical facilities takes up 4 hours and requires rapid dehydration to remove the excess water as well as uremic toxins accumulated in a patient's body, leading to drastic change in osmotic pressure. Patients usually experience serious fatigue and require considerable rest." Prof. Huang pointed out that HHD takes a longer time (8 hours), however, water and waste are removed in a slow but steady rate that comes with a less drastic change in osmotic pressure and less stress on patient's heart. Patients don't feel tired after hemodialysis and can continue with their work." As for the safety of HHD, patients need to complete a training program lasting 8-12 weeks and encompassing the establishment of vascular access puncture, operation and troubleshooting of hemodialysis machine, blood pressure and pulse monitoring, recording a nursing report, emergency evacuation, medical waste management, and the maintaining of dialysis RO water quality. They also need to pass a final test of independent operation before they can do it at home. Media Contact: Carolyn Chen [email protected] SOURCE China Medical University Hospital

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), the leading advocacy organization for dialysis patients nationwide, today released the following statement applauding the passage and enactment of SB 215 in Indiana. The law offers three affordable Medicare supplemental plans (also known as Medigap) to Medicare enrollees under the age of 65 – including to patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Continue Reading "We are grateful to see Indiana do right by dialysis patients and provide the patient choice and healthcare coverage that all Hossiers deserve," said DPC Board President Andrew Conkling. "For decades, under-age 65 ESRD patients have paid much higher premiums than over-age 65 persons, and this lack of equal treatment based on age has resulted in unaffordable Medigap premiums for under-age 65 Indiana residents. With this legislation, about 2,000 Hoosiers with End Stage Renal Disease who are covered by Medicare, but not by the state Medicaid program, will have access to affordable Medigap coverage that fits their needs regardless of age. We are thankful for the tireless efforts of Senator Kyle Walker and Representative David Abbott in passing this legislation, and we are grateful that Governor Eric J. Holcomb has signed it into law." Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) applauds the passage and enactment of SB 215 in Indiana. Post this Background Senator Kyle Walker (R-IN-31) championed SB 215 in the Indiana Senate. Representative David Abbott (R-IN-18), a kidney transplant recipient himself, championed a companion bill in the Indiana House of Representatives. Governor Eric J. Holcomb (R-IN) signed into state law on March 11, 2024. This legislation finally provides access to affordable Medigap coverage for the approximately 2,000 "non-dual" Hoosiers with ESRD who are covered by Medicare, but not the state Medicaid program. This legislation offers affordable Medigap coverage to Medicare beneficiaries of all ages, granting all dialysis patients in Indiana access to affordable care. In addition, the law ensures wider access to kidney transplants, as two of the now available Medigap plans cover the $1,600 annual inpatient hospital deductible necessary for a kidney transplant. Indiana joins 16 other states that have already adopted Medigap access and affordability laws. Under Federal law, Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older are guaranteed access to Medicare supplemental insurance, also known as "Medigap," but beneficiaries under age 65, including many with End-Stage Renal Disease, do not share this protection. Indiana previously did not ensure that Medicare beneficiaries under the age of 65 have access to Medigap plans to cover their substantial out-of-pocket costs. This left approximately 2,000 ESRD patients in the state without an affordable way to cover the remaining 20% that Medicare doesn't cover. For more information about DPC, click here. SOURCE Dialysis Patient Citizens

AUSTIN, Texas--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a global leader in cell-free DNA testing, commented today on the 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease , which was recently published by the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) organization, a leading medical society in nephrology. The updated guideline includes consensus statements supporting the use of genetic testing to establish the cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) for a majority of patients with this condition. The KDIGO guideline, specifically in Practice Points 1.1.4.1 and 1.1.4.2, states that genetic tests should be used, among other factors, to establish cause for CKD, and that genetic testing can impact the clinical management of people with CKD. The guideline also emphasizes that genetic causes may be present even without a family history; and it references six clinical scenarios, covering the majority of CKD patients, where genetic testing is particularly informative, including: Conditions with high prevalence of monogenic subtypes within the clinical category; Early age of onset of CKD; Syndromic/multisystem features; Consanguinity; Possibility of identifying a condition amenable to targeted treatment; and CKD/ESRD of unknown etiology when kidney biopsy would not be informative due to advanced disease. The guideline also lists specific gene categories, aligned with Natera’s Renasight gene panel, that are actionable for CKD patients. “ KDIGO makes it clear that most CKD patients and healthcare providers would prefer to identify the underlying cause of disease, which should include a genetic diagnosis when such tests are available,” said Maggie Westemeyer, MS, CGC, and director of clinical genetic services at Natera. “ This is where Natera plays a key role, providing access both to our Renasight test and to our genetic educational resources to enable guideline-recommended care.” The guideline was released following the publication of the landmark RenaCARE study – a multisite, prospective study demonstrating the diagnostic and clinical utility of Renasight in 1,623 patients with CKD. More than 55% of all U.S. nephrologists have ordered the Renasight test. About Renasight The Renasight™ test is a germline genetic test that screens for hereditary causes of kidney disease. It is indicated for patients with diagnosed kidney disease and is run from a patient’s blood or saliva sample. Providers can use the Renasight test to identify a genetic predisposition, clarify a clinical diagnosis, or identify the etiology of an unknown kidney disease to help inform medical management. Additionally, genetic counseling and familial testing can be offered based on the test result. The test has been developed and its performance characteristics determined by the CLIA-certified laboratory performing the test. The test has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CAP accredited, ISO 13485 certified, and CLIA certified. About Natera Natera™ is a global leader in cell-free DNA testing, dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health. We aim to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health, and inform earlier, more targeted interventions that help lead to longer, healthier lives. Natera’s tests are validated by more than 180 peer-reviewed publications that demonstrate high accuracy. Natera operates ISO 13485-certified and CAP-accredited laboratories certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) in Austin, Texas and San Carlos, California. For more information, visit www.natera.com . Forward-Looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements and are not a representation that Natera’s plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. These forward-looking statements represent Natera’s expectations as of the date of this press release, and Natera disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including with respect to whether the results of clinical or other studies will support the use of our product offerings, the impact of results of such studies, our expectations of the reliability, accuracy and performance of our tests, or of the benefits of our tests and product offerings to patients, providers and payers. Additional risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in “Risk Factors” in Natera’s recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q and in other filings Natera makes with the SEC from time to time. These documents are available at www.natera.com/investors and www.sec.gov .