Patient knowledge and adherence to maintenance hemodialysis: an International comparison study.

Background: Non-adherence to hemodialysis (HD) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In this cross-sectional study, we compared correlates and rates of non-adherence between the US and Japan to determine if differences in patient knowledge about HD might account for international variation in adherence.

Methods: We evaluated 100 US and 116 Japanese patients on maintenance HD.

Dietary acid intake and kidney disease progression in the elderly.

Background/aims: Non-volatile acid is produced by metabolism of organic sulfur in dietary protein, and promotes kidney damage. We investigated the role of dietary acid load, in terms of net endogenous acid production (NEAP), in chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression.

Methods: 217 CKD patients on low-protein diet with a normal serum bicarbonate level were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study in Japan.

High serum bicarbonate level within the normal range prevents the progression of chronic kidney disease in elderly chronic kidney disease patients.

Background: Metabolic acidosis leads to chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. The guidelines recommend a lower limit of serum bicarbonate level, but no upper limit. For serum bicarbonate level to be clinically useful as a therapeutic target marker, it is necessary to investigate the target serum bicarbonate level within the normal range to prevent CKD progression.

Icodextrin reduces mortality and the drop-out rate in Japanese peritoneal dialysis patients.

Although numerous reports have shown that the use of icodextrin solution, as compared with conventional dextrose solutions, provides various clinical benefits, data on the impact of icodextrin solution on mortality and drop-out are sparse. In the present retrospective study, we compared clinical outcomes in a large cohort of patients prescribed either icodextrin or dextrose solution for the long dwell. A total of 7808 patients across Japan who were using Baxter peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions in 2004 were included in this cross-sectional analysis.