President of ASN: The time for a nephrology movement is now
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ORLANDO — Nephrology has never been better poised for a movement toward kidney health than now, according to the presidential address at ASN Kidney Week.
The specialty of nephrology has reached many milestones in the past few decades and while there is much to celebrate, Susan E. Quaggin, MD, FASN, president of ASN, encouraged nephrologists to turn this moment into a movement
Since 2015, there have been a multitude of clinical trials and research that has delivered new therapies and devices to patients, she said. In 2022, there have been nine FDA approvals and eight breakthrough designations for kidney treatments and devices. Leaps and bounds have been made in transplantation, so much so that xenotransplantation is no longer “science fiction,” and there are human trials planned to begin as early as next year, Quaggin said.
Another recent change in nephrology has been the removal of the race co-efficient in eGFR equations.
“It's important to remember we were not the only specialty called upon, but we were the first and only specialty, so far, to establish a task force and provide a race-free formula to estimate kidney function, which has now been implemented,” Quaggin said in the address.
Although these changes have translated in progress, Quaggin reminded the audience of ASN’s vision: “A world without kidney diseases.”
To achieve this movement, Quaggin said nephrology must first identify who has kidney disease. To near this goal, ASN worked with other organizations to push the United States Preventative Task Force to revisit chronic kidney disease screening and create standalone recommendations.
After quoting the Hippocratic Oath, the president of ASN called upon the audience to challenge lawmakers, policymakers and policies that threaten patients and the care nephrologists provide.
“We put an end to the god committees and death panels. We learned from the negative trials and persevered. We stood up to eliminate disparities and have worked for true health justice. We fought against a devastating disease and stood up to those who didn't care or who considered dialysis the ending. We made the discoveries that have changed our field,” Quaggin concluded. “I am asking each of you to stand up, to rise up, to join the movement — the revolution — until a world without kidney diseases is no longer seen as impossible but becomes inevitable.”
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Quaggin SE. ASN President’s Address. Presented at: ASN Kidney Week; Nov. 3-6, 2022; Orlando (hybrid meeting).
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