Nutrition News

Imagine your typical day of dialysis rounds. A patient’s blood pressure drops, and he becomes non-responsive. The heart rate decreases and respirations become labored. The staff institutes emergency procedures, 911 is dialed and the cart is brought to bedside. The patient is stabilized and taken to the nearest emergency department.

Diets rich in potassium may help protect the heart and kidney health of patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

On Oct. 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Relypsa, Inc.’s Veltassa (patiromer for oral suspension) to treat hyperkalemia. Veltassa is the first new medicine to treat hyperkalemia in more than 50 years.

So you have just completed your annual visit to your doctor and he/she tells you that there is a little problem with your kidneys. He tries to explain what this means, but you find it confusing, especially since you have no symptoms. Then he tells you to "watch your protein intake and come back to see me in six months" His nurse gives you a brochure along with the phone number and name of a dietitian at the local hospital, just in case you want to learn about a "diet." Now you are really confused, wondering what this means for you and your future. Hopefully you follow up by making an appointment with the dietitian.

High dietary intake of sodium and potassium may speed the progression of kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings could impact dietary recommendations to help safeguard patients’ health. The article, entitled “Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion and Chronic Kidney Disease Progression,” appears online.

The European Commission has approved Fexeric (ferric citrate coordination complex) for the control of elevated serum phosphorus levels, or hyperphosphatemia, in adults with chronic kidney disease including both dialysis and pre-dialysis patients. The European Commission considered ferric citrate coordination complex a New Active Substance, which provides 10 years of data and marketing exclusivity in Europe.

Patiromer FOS, made by Relypsa Inc., significantly reduced blood potassium from baseline levels in patients with moderate-to-severe hyperkalemia (mean blood potassium levels at baseline: 5.93 mEq/L), who had chronic kidney disease and were taking at least one renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor, according to a study published Sept. 16 in Kidney International.

Editor's note: Two reviews were recently published in Kidney International, that analyzed the role of Kt/Vurea in determining dialysis dose. One, by Raymond Vanholder, MD et al, argued that it is too simple a concept for the complexities of uremia and of today’s dialysis. The other, by John T Daugirdas, MD, argued that it is still a useful metric to measure dialysis adequacy. Dr. Agar and Ms. Schatell wrote this article in response to the latter. 

Phosphates artificially added to dairy and cereal products appear to cause bigger spikes in blood phosphorus levels than naturally occurring phosphates, potentially putting harmful stress on kidneys. Too much dietary phosphate stiffens blood vessels, enlarges the heart and is bad for bones, but a new study by Houston Methodist researchers suggests it matters where the phosphates come from.

A year-long study of more than 300 patients with hyperkalemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease found that the investigational drug Patiromer, made by Relypsa, Inc. can reduce elevated blood-potassium levels.