Kidney failure affects a lot of people around the world. It means the kidneys can’t clean the blood properly anymore.
Dialysis is a treatment that cleans the blood instead. It removes waste products which are usually gotten rid of by the kidneys. Today, around 4 million people worldwide are on dialysis.
Comparing Two Dialysis Methods
There are two main methods of dialysis: hemodialysis and hemodiafiltration. Hemodialysis is more common but not so good at removing large molecules from the blood.
Hemodiafiltration, a newer technology, is better at removing large molecules, but it needs a higher blood flow rate, so it’s not suitable for everyone. Until now, it wasn’t clear which method was better.
The Big Study and Its Results
The CONVINCE consortium, led by University Medical Center Utrecht, did a big study to compare the two methods.
The study was conducted at 61 centers in eight European countries, and it involved more than 1,300 patients. Some patients were treated with hemodialysis, and others with hemodiafiltration, three times a week.
The results of the study were clear. Patients treated with hemodiafiltration had a lower risk of dying. To be exact, the risk was reduced by 23%.
The lead investigator, Professor Peter Blankestijn, said that hemodiafiltration could become the new standard treatment for kidney failure.
What This Means for Patients
This is great news for patients with kidney failure and their families. Even though hemodialysis is the standard treatment in many countries, this study shows that hemodiafiltration has clear benefits.
Most modern dialysis machines can do either method, so it would be relatively easy to switch to hemodiafiltration.
Looking Forward
Professor Matthias Rose, another leader in the study, said that they were still looking at other data collected during the study.
They’re particularly interested in how patients felt about the two different treatments. They expect to have these results later in the year.
This study is a big step forward in treating kidney disease. As Professor Andrew Davenport, a senior author of the study, said, “This is the first major step forward in many years and is good news for kidney disease patients and their families.”
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about how to protect your kidneys from diabetes, and drinking coffee could help reduce risk of kidney injury.
For more information about kidney health, please see recent studies about foods that may prevent recurrence of kidney stones, and eating nuts linked to lower risk of chronic kidney disease and death.
The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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